


Dreams of Ice

by PancakeOnHead



Category: No Straight Roads (Video Game)
Genre: Action, Canon-Typical Violence, Fighting, Gen, Maybe if you squint your eyes a little..., Music, Musical Instruments, Musical References, Mythology References, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Snow and Ice, Subwoofers that actually woof, coldwave, its chilly in here, possible shipping, rock - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 41,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27194596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PancakeOnHead/pseuds/PancakeOnHead
Summary: “I do not seek to control NSR, Tatiana. But I can help you. Ice can support. Ice can fortify. Ice can protect.”—————————It’s been several weeks since the near destruction of Vinyl City and things are starting to look up. However, all that might change when the temperature suddenly begins to drop. The news of a missing performer also causes a stir, enough to shake the very foundation of the city. Ideals and partnerships are challenged as Vinyl City faces as a coldwave that no one would ever expect.
Relationships: Mayday & Zuke (No Straight Roads)
Comments: 60
Kudos: 163





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> It’s been a while since I last wrote something. However, this game’s world and characters have inspired me to take up my old hobby again. I love this game to oodles and kaboodles and hope I can do it some justice with an expanded post-canon story. I usually am not a fan of making OCs but this game inspired me to go ahead and go for it.
> 
> I’ll probably do some one-shots here and there too but we’ll see.
> 
> Either way, hope you all enjoy the story! Reviews and criticism are always welcome!

Several weeks had passed since the near total destruction of Vinyl City. While the initial chaos had subsided shortly after the event, the cleanup and aftermath was still ongoing. Though the city had mostly been cleaned of the glitter, it wasn’t too surprising to find a faint sparkle still plastered to the sides of the buildings. One could consider it a nuisance, but it was hard to deny that it gave the city a nice look during the dawn and twilight hours.

While the aesthetics of the city were one thing, there was still the problem that hung in the air like a rain cloud about to burst. The energy output was slowly starting to increase, though not at the speed most residents of the city wished. Blackouts were still a common occurrence but were no longer at the length they were in the past. True to her word, Tatiana and her NSR megastars were making an effort to be more transparent and inclusive with their organization. While some naysayers were among the crowd saying they weren’t doing enough, a majority of the citizens were optimistic. The streets were filled with not just the sounds of EDM anymore and new voices were taking to the stages. New stars were beginning to rise as lost genres of music were starting to return. With the newfound abundance of creative energy at their disposal, the future was looking brighter than ever before. 

With what transpired and recent events, not very many were wondering what happened to the two troublemakers that caused this change in the first place. Bunk Bed Junction has decided to take it easy for the time being, choosing to stay out of the way from any major events. While they still assisted in the clean up efforts around the city and even started to become friendly acquaintances with some of the megastars, both Mayday and Zuke figured it was best to lay low for a bit and do some “soul searching.” Which mostly just pertained to playing at random gigs and lazing about.

And this particular evening was one for being lazy.

Mayday and Zuke were both hiding out in their living room. The still-broken TV flickered with the news and provided some background noise to the otherwise quiet room. Zuke was reclining back on the sofa with a book over his face. A quiet snoring could be heard from behind the book as he fell back deeper into the cushions. Mayday was on the opposite end of the couch, lying on her belly as she strategically lined up five popcorn kernels in a row on the cushion. Ellie was located a few feet away on the ground, mouth agape as she positioned herself within firing range. After preparing herself, Mayday brought her hand to the first kernel and aimed. 

“She shoots…” she hummed to herself as she flicked the kernel towards Ellie. Ellie’s jaws quickly snapped shut just as the popcorn landed on her tongue. She quickly opened her mouth again and again as Mayday flicked the rest of the kernels toward her, easily devouring them as they landed.

“-and she scores!” Mayday cheerfully whispered as Ellie rolled onto her back in celebration. “And the crowd is going wild!” The blonde guitarist mocked a stadium cheer as she reached out to rub Ellie’s exposed belly.

After the unbanning of rock music, everyone who took refuge in the sewers packed up and left. Though the place was certainly a lot quieter and the halls were lonelier, Mayday and Zuke couldn’t deny that it was nice having their place back to themselves. 

“-And in other news,” the news reporter on the television spoke monotonously. “The temperatures in Vinyl City are continuing to lower as an unexpected cold snap continues to hit the city. Meteorologists are not sure what the cause of this sudden change and are-“

“Geez, it’s the middle summer. This makes no sense.” Mayday groaned as the newscaster continued to speak. She stopped rubbing Ellie’s belly, much to the gator’s dismay, and slithered over to Zuke’s side of the couch. She looked at her sleeping bandmate and poked his knee. Zuke snorted at the feeling but ignored it. “Zuuuuuuke. Wake up.”

The book that covered Zuke’s face fell to the side with a clatter as it closed. The drummer slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling blankly.

“Wha-I’m up,” he muttered sleepily. His eyes slowly lingered over to Mayday, who was still poking at his knee. “What’s going on?”

“It’s going to be cold again tonight,” Mayday said as she stopped her prodding. 

Zuke blinked twice as he stared at Mayday before letting his gaze go over to the television. “But isn’t it the middle of summer?”

Mayday dramatically sighed and leaned back into the sofa, pressing her weight in the cushions. “That’s what I just said.”

The two quietly listened as the news played a video of reporters asking random people in the street their thoughts on the sudden onslaught of chilly weather. 

“It’s whack, man!” One person shouted their annoyance into the microphone. “I am a child of summer! I can’t handle the cold yet!”

The camera cut to a convenience store clerk who was working behind a desk. In the corner of the camera’s frame, an imposing figure in a star and planet themed hoodie stood still.

“I can’t sell ice cream if it starts getting cold,” the clerk stated. “Who in their right mind eats ice cream when it’s freezing?”

“Pardon me, store clerk of this establishment,” a familiar, deep voice spoke off-microphone. “Have you received this week’s shipment of Mister Dodo Ice Pops?”

“Oh yeah, they’re-“

Mayday rolled her eyes as the camera cut back to the newsperson in the studio. “Of course he’s crazy enough to eat ice cream when it’s freezing out.”

“-Tatiana has also made a statement regarding the sudden frigid temperatures,” the newscaster continued. “‘Due to the inclement weather, all outside concerts will be suspended and postponed until weather conditions improve. Outside performance spaces will also be closed for the safety of all performers and residents.’”

“Huh,” Zuke mumbled. “Must be serious if Tatiana is already going ahead and postponing everything.”

Mayday shrugged and stood up from the couch. “Well, that sucks. We should probably go find our little heater and some extra blankets before we become popsicles.”

Zuke blinked and gave a nod. He stood up and followed after her as they went to go look for extra blankets. The television continued to flicker in the dark as the news moved onto the next story, completely ignored by the two.

“-the search continues for the bassist who was reported missing-“


	2. Bitter Wind

“I still can’t believe it. It’s supposed to be the middle of summer and here I am walking around in a flippin’ sweater.”

“Hey, I know it sucks. But look on the bright side, at least it’s not snowing.”

“Puhleeease, Zuke. If it started snowing right now, I’ll take my sweater off and eat it.”

Mayday and Zuke bantered with each other as they crawled out of the sewers. The two decided to take a walk to clear their heads and out of boredom. As expected with the colder temperature, not very many were out wandering around. Most were underprepared for the weather and were running from place to place. Even Festival Plaza, one of the most bustling places in the city, was now more of a ghost town. The noise of the advertisements on the large screens echoed off the walls of the buildings, providing an eerie atmosphere. Mayday adjusted the guitar strap around her shoulder and let out a sigh, watching her breath plume out.

“You’d think we were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse or something,” Mayday said aloud. “Wait a sec, isn’t this the exact same thing that happened in one of those stories?”

“Uh, I’m not sure,” Zuke said as he rubbed his chin. “Zombie apocalypses usually have different catalysts that start them. Like a virus or psychological torment or-“

“Yeahyeahyeah, I hear you,” Mayday interrupted with a wave of her hand.

“Anyway, I don’t think a sudden cold snap is going to be a harbinger for any apocalyptic event,” Zuke continued as he stuck his hands into his pant pockets. “Before we know it, we’ll be back to normal weather and everything will be okay-“

“-And in today’s weather,” an obnoxiously cheerful voice came from one of Plaza screens. “The weather is expected to stay the same temperature for the next week with the possibility of snow into the evening. Make sure you bundle up! Onto-“

Zuke looked over at Mayday who had suddenly stopped walking. “Well, the weather people aren’t always correct most of the time.”

“...Zuke.” Mayday spoke through gritted teeth.

“Yes, May?”

“I don’t wanna hear it right now.”

The two bandmates were about to continue on their walk when they heard someone calling out their names. They spun around and saw Yiruk running towards them. The former wannabe-airforce-cadet-and-now-wannabe-rockstar was hardly dressed for the weather but his energy was electric. He was waving his arms frantically, hoping to get their attention. He slid to a stop in front of them and buckled over, panting to catch his breath.

“Take it easy, kid,” Mayday chided playfully. “What’s got you all worked up?”

“I-it...finally arrived...today,” Yiruk gasped out in between breaths. “It arrived!”

“Uh, what arrived?” Zuke asked in confusion.

“This!”

Yiruk reached into his baggy pants pocket and pulled out a flattened parcel, presenting it to Mayday and Zuke. “I entered a raffle and managed to snag this one-of-a-kind item.”

Yiruk opened the parcel and pulled out the contents. Inside was a photograph of a woman from the waist up in a black crop top. Her pale blue skin contrasted the dark background and intimidating blue gaze stared back at the viewer. White bangs and sides framed her face as the black back part fused with the dark background. Both hands were brought up to the sides of her face and held in the same position: index and pinky finger standing while middle and ring finger pressed against her thumb. In the bottom right corner was an illegible signature written in white pen. Mayday and Zuke stared at the photo for several moments in silence.

“So?” Yiruk drawled out with an edge of smugness to his voice. “What do you think?”

“Who is that?” Zuke asked bluntly.

“Yeah, we have no idea who that is,” Mayday added.

Yiruk took the photo away and groaned in disbelief. “How do you not know who this is!?”

“Well, Vinyl City is a pretty big city…” Zuke said quietly.

“Whatever. This is Mara, bassist from the rock band Inferno. Other than that, I don’t know much about her. She looks scary though.”

Mayday furrowed her brows. “If you don’t know anything about her, why are you so excited for this autograph?”

Yiruk let out a short laugh. “You didn’t hear? Even I know this. Her band broke up around the time you two started hijacking concerts. Shortly after, she went missing. Radio silent, nothing. This photo could very well be worth a fortune in the future.”

“A little morbid, don’t you think?” Zuke muttered with a raised brow.

Yiruk rolled his eyes from behind his sunglasses as he stuffed the autographed picture back into his pants. He turned his back on the two and began to walk away. “You both don’t understand the concept of the resale market. You’ll see someday.”

“Why is he such a weird kid?” Mayday blurted out once Yiruk was outside of earshot. Zuke ignored her jab as he silently thought to himself. Mayday tilted her head to the side and stared at her bandmate. “Hello? Earth to Zuke! What you thinking about this time?”

“Hm?” Zuke’s concentration quickly broke as he blinked. He looked over to her. “Oh, nothing. Just that band’s name sounded familiar. But I don’t remember much else about them.”

Mayday sighed. “It’s weird that she went missing though. I wonder what happened? GASP. What if there’s someone going around kidnapping musicians!? What if we’re next?”

Zuke narrowed his eyes at her. “Now don’t be ridiculous. I doubt that’s the case-“

The drummer was interrupted by the sound of Mayday’s cellphone. The guitarist quickly reached into her sweater’s pocket and pulled it out. Her face instantly brightened as she stared at the screen.

“Oh, I got a text message from Tatiana!” She exclaimed. 

“Really? What did she say?”

“Ahem,” Mayday cleared her throat before starting to do a terrible impersonation of her idol. “‘Meet me in my office. Now. -Tatiana.’”

“Why are you doing that voice? She doesn’t sound anything like that.”

“I thought I was pretty spot on. But anyway, let’s go! It must be important if she wants to see us now.”

Without a moment to lose, Mayday started running down the street towards the NSR Tower. Zuke yelled after her telling her to wait for him. A bitter wind blew to their backs as they ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, thank you all for the support in reading this! I didn’t expect this to get some of the attention it did. I hope this story lives up to expectations, or at the very least entertains.
> 
> Now we’re getting more information about our mystery bassist as the temperature gets cooler. A small teaser but sometimes three heads are better than one...
> 
> Anyway, thank you all again and hope you continue to enjoy!


	3. Standstill

The elevator ride towards Tatiana’s office was always a long ride. Calming music played overhead on the speakers as the elevator slowly pulled upwards. Zuke was looking out the large window that overlooked the city, staring at the overcast sky. The warm lighting of the elevator contrasted the grey bleakness that appeared outside. While the drummer quietly took in the sight of the city, Mayday was pacing about the car.

“Ok, ok, ok. I need to play it cool. I know it’s been a few weeks since we last visited her but-“ Mayday spoke to herself as she walked back and forth. “Do you think she’d mind if I called her ‘Tati?’”

Zuke looked over at her. “I think you’re overthinking things. Why not relax and listen to the elevator music?”

Mayday let out a loud sigh and went to go stand next to her partner. She looked out the window and stared at the buildings. It was still too early in afternoon for the lights of the city to come on but the darkening sky made it a necessity. The five major districts that belonged to them for a short amount of time sparkled like colorful gems in the grey. Even in the dull and cold weather, the city still managed to retain its beauty. 

“I wonder why Tatiana wants to see us,” Mayday muttered aloud. “I’m sure whatever is going on can be handled by the others.”

“Who knows,” Zuke responded as he pressed his back against the wall of the elevator. “Let’s just be thankful that she doesn’t want to set us on fire anymore.”

Mayday chuckled. “Think she’d be willing to sit in the middle of the city and warm everyone up if it keeps staying cold?”

Before Zuke could respond, a loud ding came from overhead. Mayday jumped at the sound and remembered why she was so fidgety in the first place. The golden elevator doors slowly opened, revealing the long hallway to Tatiana’s office. The two stepped out of the elevator and began walking down the hall. The once foreboding hallway felt welcoming now that they were on good terms with the mogul. Mayday was speaking in excited whispers as they got closer to the doors of the office. Even if she was on Tatiana’s good side and were on speaking terms, this was still THE Kul Fyra. 

Once they made it to the end of the hallway, they stared at the door in silence for several moments. Mayday stared at the handle and slowly reached for it, her hand just hesitating before it. Zuke looked over at her and cleared his throat to ease the tension. Mayday jumped and looked over at him.

“Alright, alright, alright. I am opening the door. But do you think I should say something cool or tell a joke?”

“May…”

Mayday threw her head back and sighed. “Fiiiiine.”

The guitarist grabbed the handle and quickly opened the door. The intense warmth of the room hit them like running into a brick wall. On the opposite side of the entrance, Tatiana sat at her desk. Her focus of the papers before her did not stray to the two who just entered her office. Her appearance had remained mostly unchanged after her confrontation with Kliff. Her red, crystallike hair glimmered like a flickering flame in the office’s low lighting. Her rose colored glasses rested on the bridge of her nose as she stared down. Mayday had no idea whether to be relieved or annoyed that Tatiana didn’t even acknowledge their entrance. In the silence, she hatched what she perceived to be a clever thought and threw her arms up in the air.

“Yoooo Tatiana!”’she announces with a smile. “You’d think with how hot your office is, no one would ever guess a second ice age was coming.”

Mayday laughed at her words while Zuke groaned in secondhand embarrassment. Tatiana continued to stare at the papers before her but let out a loud sigh.

“If you’re going to make a joke, the least you could do is put more of an effort into it,” Tatiana said bluntly.

Mayday rolled her eyes. “And the least you could do IS GREET PEOPLE WHEN THEY ENTER YOUR OFFICE.”

Tatiana let out a small chuckle as she removed her glasses, placing them gently on the desk. She stood up from her chair and moved towards Mayday and Zuke. The proud leader of NSR, who used to rule the city with an iron fist, definitely had become a lot warmer since the fall of the satellite. Sure, she was still blunt and took no nonsense but it was much easier to be around her now. She had her hands behind her back and stood up straight, giving a small smile to the two bandmates.

“I thank you both for coming over on such short notice,” Tatiana began. “With the temperatures in the city plummeting as quickly as they are, it’s been difficult to manage things.” Her eyes lingered over to her old guitar that was slung over Mayday’s shoulder. “How’s she been treating you?”

Mayday’s hand subconsciously lifted up and touched the guitar strap. “Honestly, I still can’t get over the fact that I’m holding onto it still, haha. But it’s been pretty hard the last few weeks, haven’t really gotten back into the groove, ya know?”

Even though Bunk Bed Junction was still occasionally performing since the satellite’s fall, the hard feelings of their revolution still carried some baggage. They could still play decently but there felt like a spark missing. The passion was still there but the flame had grown smaller. Mayday glanced over at Zuke, who gave her a sympathetic nod in return. Tatiana bowed her head knowingly and spoke.

“Artist’s block isn’t the easiest to deal with, believe me. But I’m certain you two will figure things out, sooner or later.”

“I can’t believe I’m getting another pep talk from Kul Fyra,” Mayday said with a small laugh. “But thank you.”

“Speaking of artist’s block, let’s move on to the reason why I asked you both to come here.” Tatiana gestured for the duo to follow her back to her desk. They obliged and followed the woman. Tatiana returned to her chair and motioned for both of them to take a seat.

“I’m sure you’re aware that even though we are beginning to gain more electricity in the city, we’re still not at optimal levels. I fear with this unexplained weather change that we’re experiencing that it could potentially affect the progress we’re trying to create.”

Mayday and Zuke quietly listened to Tatiana’s speech, understanding the importance of it but not processing why they had to be there to hear the lecture. Tatiana looked over and noticed their somewhat glazed over expressions. She groaned and placed her hands on her desk.

“Which means that if the cold weather continues, we’ll be draining more electricity than the Qwasa can produce. Therefore, the blackouts will re-emerge and, worse, people will start to freeze.”

“Do you have any idea how long the cold spell is supposed to last?” Zuke asked as he leaned back into his chair.

“Unfortunately, the meteorologists have no idea how long this is supposed to last. No one knows the direct cause of the weather change.”

Mayday spun around in her chair and spoke. “If you’re worried about energy, why aren’t your megastars doing anything?”

“We’re trying to figure out solutions and I’ve been having them perform more to help build power. However, we’re encountering an issue and have been short one group. Sayu and the team behind her have been frozen out and cannot perform, at this time.”

Mayday gave a snort. “Like because she’s a mermaid and mermaids need water and water freezes?”

“Like their software has been frozen.” Tatiana picked her tablet up from the desk and showed an image to the rock duo. On the tablet was an image of Sayu from her most recent livestream stuck in her iconic “love love Sayu pyun” pose. “They’re trying to figure out a way to unfreeze her but until then they’re out of commission.”

“Huh, who’d thought that that could happen to a virtual performer,” Zuke muttered aloud. 

“This leads me to why I wanted you to come here in the first place,” Tatiana continued. “I know you both wanted to remain indie but I want to ask: would you two be willing to perform for us to help generate more electricity for the Qwasa? Generally, I would respect your wishes but, under these unknown circumstances, I just want to ask.”

Mayday stopped spinning around in her chair and looked down at her lap. It was an honor for Tatiana to extend an invitation for them, once again. The former rockstar must have seen a lot of potential in them if she wanted to ask them for their help. But Bunk Bed Junction was in a fog, at the moment. It’d be an honor to help the city again but they certainly couldn’t do it at the extent they did before. While she was lost in her thoughts, Zuke reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Mayday looked over at her bandmate for reassurance. He silently nodded at her, a wordless exchange she understood too well.

Mayday looked back at Tatiana and cleared her throat. “We’re really REALLY honored for you to ask us...again. But I think we just need a little more time. I-I just don’t think we’re in the right headspace at the moment.”

Tatiana gave a disappointed sigh and sat back in her chair. “I figured it was worth a shot to ask, but I understand. The invitation will be open to you, if you change your minds.”

Mayday and Zuke stood up from their chairs and exchanged small pleasantries with Tatiana before taking their leave. It was embarrassing to reject her offer but they knew what was best for them. Suddenly, as they were leaving, a thought came to Mayday. It was a small thing but still a nagging thought that was bothering her. She looked back at Tatiana.

“Hey, you haven’t heard anything about missing musicians, have you?” 

Tatiana looked at her with a stern look. “What makes you ask that?”

“Oh! Uh, we just heard a story about a bassist from a now-broken-up rock group that went missing a few weeks ago. I was just wondering if there might be something behind it or you might know anything about it. Her name was Mana-“

“Mara,” Zuke corrected.

“Yeah, that's what I said and she was in a group called Inferno. Have you heard anything about that?”

“Unfortunately, I haven’t. The city is a big place and people go missing all the time. Just because she so happens to be a bassist from some small punk rock group, I doubt that really matters. But I’ll keep my ears peeled.”

“Oh...I see. Well, we’ll be seeing you around!”

Tatiana gave a curt nod and went back to her work, leaving Mayday and Zuke to show themselves out. The two quickly left the office and shut the doors behind them. Zuke looked over at Mayday and spoke.

“What made you want to ask that question?”

“I dunno,” Mayday said with a halfhearted shrug. “It’s just been something that’s been on my mind. Figured the head honcho of NSR might’ve known something.”

The two began to quietly talk to themselves as they made their way down the hallway and back towards the elevator. As they neared the doors, the elevator opened up and a tall, slender figure stepped out quickly, nearly knocking over Mayday.

“Hey! Watch where you’re-“ Mayday and the woman said in unison. The two turned to face each other and both their faces mirrored the same surprised expression. 

“Oh...it’s you two,” Eve said in a lowered voice.


	4. A Promise

Eve stared at Mayday and Zuke with a blank expression. The duo returned the same stare to the artist. While Zuke and Eve were slowly starting to make amends, they still were not on friendly terms. She definitely was still a bit callous towards Mayday but nowhere near as hostile as when they first met. It still felt like they had to walk on eggshells when they encountered her but every time felt a little easier to converse with her. Only slightly.

Eve shifted her weight on her heels and adjusted the cashmere sweater she was wearing before folding her arms over her chest. 

“Hello Zuke,” she greeted in a low tone. She looked over at Mayday and narrowed her eyes. “And hello...Mayday.”

“Hey Eve,” Zuke answered. Mayday chose not to answer and just gave a small wave.

“I see you are just leaving Tatiana’s office. What business did you have with her today?”

“Tatiana wanted to discuss the power situation and asked if we would reconsider the invitation to join NSR while Sayu is out of commission,” Zuke responded.

Eve blinked slowly. “Did you take her on her offer?”

“No, we’re going to take some time to consider it more.”

“Yeah, we’re not really in the right headspace at the moment,” Mayday added. “You know, after everything.”

Eve gave a half-hearted laugh as she tossed her head back. “Of course. I’m not surprised you need a moment of self-reflection. I mean, your so-called “fans” only reveled in the chaos you kicked up and now faded like dust in the wind. Where are they now, by chance?”

Mayday shot a glare at Eve. It was always difficult to try to be civil with her, especially when she brought up this topic. The guitarist understood that Eve lashed out due to her own insecurities, but it still didn’t make her any less toxic to deal with. But she knew it wasn’t best to stir up drama, especially for Zuke’s sake. Fighting off the urge to want to get into a screaming match with her, Mayday took a deep breath and forced a smile.

“Ok, ouch. Anyway, is there something you want from us?”

“No, not from you. I was just on my way to speak with Tatiana. She probably wishes to speak to me about the sudden weather change the city is facing.”

“Cool, have fun with that. We’ll be on our way now. Buh bye!”

Mayday quickly turned to the elevator to make her exit. She was ready to take her leave and expected Zuke to follow her lead. 

“Hey Eve, I have a question for you,” Zuke said unexpectedly.

Mayday felt herself groan internally and turned back around to face her partner. Even Eve was caught off-guard but she didn’t seem upset. In fact, her green eyes glimmered with happiness and anticipation.

“Yes, Zuke? What do you need?”

“Do you remember that one band that would hang around college all the time? They were called Inferno and-“

Before Zuke could even finish his sentence, Eve dramatically threw her head back and her hands up. Her outburst made both Mayday and Zuke take a step back as she began her tirade.

“UGGGH, don’t even get me started with those...those savages! How could you even forget about them in the first place!?”

“Uhh, because I had better things to think about?” Zuke said with a shrug. Eve didn’t listen to his comment and continued.

“I remember the one night they stormed into one of MY exhibits and ruined it by playing their obnoxious music! Their leader was an egotistical man who slept with anything that breathed. Their keytar player was a vain shrew who constantly had people waiting on her every whim. Their drummer was a disgusting slob. The only somewhat sane one was the bassist but she’s still guilty by associating with them! Why would you even want to remember them!?”

“Because there was news that the group disbanded not too long ago and the bassist went missing,” Zuke tried to answer calmly. “The band sounded familiar and I thought you might’ve remembered them so-“

“Of course I would remember them. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that bassist went into hiding because she was so embarrassed to have relations with the rest of them.”

With those words, Mayday finally had enough of Eve’s ranting. “Eve, we get it. You have a lot of anger towards them because they ruined your show. But don’t you think that’s going a bit overboard saying that?”

“Why am I not surprised you’d be defending them?” Eve spoke in a low tone as she glared at Mayday. “Either way, I have to go speak with Tatiana. Goodbye, Zuke. Mayday…”

With that cold farewell, Eve turned on her heels and walked towards Tatiana’s office. Mayday couldn’t help but clench and unclench her fists as she watched the diva walk away. She badly wanted to say something back to her but even she knew it wasn’t worth picking a fight with her.

“Hey May, let’s get going,” Zuke said quietly, breaking her from her current mood.

Mayday glanced over at her bandmate and sighed. “Yeah, ok.”

The two made their way to the elevator and stepped in once the doors opened. As the car traveled down, they stood in silence as the cheerful elevator music played overhead. After several moments of tension passed, Zuke finally was the first to speak.

“Look, I’m sorry I asked her that question. I’ve just been having that nagging feeling in the back of my head after we talked to that kid and wanted to see if she remembered that group.”

Mayday looked at Zuke with bewilderment written all over her face. “Huh? What? I didn’t care about that. It just irked me what she said. You know, about her saying that that bassist probably went into hiding due to embarrassment.”

“Oh, that? Yeah...that was pretty low to say even for her.”

“I mean, even Tatiana didn’t run away and intentionally go missing like that from the Goolings when they disbanded. There’s got to be another reason why she went missing and why their group disbanded.”

“I don’t think those answers will ever get answered, though. Even the Goolings were pretty high profile during their time. No one really cares about the outcome and whereabouts of an indie band.”

“Ugh...you’re probably right.”

The two fell into silence again. The elevator ride had barely made it to the halfway point. Lots of thoughts were swimming in both of their heads. What if the possibility of Bunk Bed Junction falling apart happened? It wasn’t an uncommon cycle: bands get together and break-up all the time. Especially underground indie groups like their own. They didn’t want to think that. Sure, they had their disagreements but it never got to the point of it actually tearing the group apart. The revolution they started was case-and-point. Their friendship was a testament and withstood worse. But still, even the tiniest of threads coming undone could ruin the entire tapestry. And they both knew that.

Mayday straightened her back and stared straight ahead out the window that overlooked the city.

“Hey Zuke?”

Zuke blinked and looked over at Mayday. “May?”

“Promise me that if we have any sort of disagreement or anything, that we’ll sort it out? I don’t want to go down the same route as the Goolings or even that Inferno group.”

Mayday looked over Zuke who was quietly staring at her. After several moments, a small smile came across his lips as he extended out his fist.

“It’s a promise.”

Mayday returned his smile, extended the same gesture and bumped fists together. The elevator came to a stop and opened on the bottom floor. They stepped out together and made their way towards the exit.

“Now that all that serious stuff is out of the way, I’m starving,” Mayday said, returning back to her more cheerful disposition. “Want to go find a bite to eat?”

Zuke nodded. “Sure. But before that, I’d like to go on the hunt for a specific vinyl, if you don’t mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d be lying if I said it was easy to write Eve’s character. I apologize in advance if things seemed out-of-character as I was going for through a bit of headcannon as I was writing for her. Mostly because I don’t see her as the kind of person who’d just forgive and forget overnight. A misunderstood and a self-loathing individual, yes. But still toxic, in some regards.
> 
> Oh and some more character development. Yay.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter!


	5. Ambush

The cold weather continued on as night fell upon the city. Despite the abnormal temperature, many still made an effort to be out and enjoy the evening. While outdoor music performances were cancelled that didn’t stop the people from crowding the inside venues. This was especially true for NSR’s top performers.

With the exception of Sayu still having technical difficulties, all of the other performers were performing for even larger crowds in order to generate enough electricity to help sustain the city. One group in particular was taking an extra effort to promote themselves to encourage more people to come out. And what better group to bring in the crowds and the heat than the five robotic heartthrobs?

“We know the weather has been extra cool lately, but why stay at home and be cold when you can heat up with some of the hottest boys in town?”

The white colored leader of 1010’s smooth, metallic voice spoke as he stared into the camera. The four colorful members stood behind him, striking different poses as he spoke. The popular robotic boyband were outside their mansion as hundreds of screaming fans bundled in sweaters and hats gathered around them, pushing on the poor security guards that separated them. A news crew was there recording them in an attempt to get people out. 

“Don’t get too rambunctious now,” the white unit said flirtatiously with a wink. “Because we’ll be performing ALL NIGHT LONG~”

“ALL NIGHT! WOO!” All of 1010 sang in harmony as their adoring fans screamed even louder.

Mayday was watching the broken screen of their television with a sleeping Ellie curled up in her lap. She let out a dreamy sigh as she watched the five members continue to dance and pose on the screen.

“Hey Zuke, I think I forgot something outside and need to-“

“No you don’t,” Zuke said aloud from a different room. He walked back into their living room carrying a box.

Mayday looked over her shoulder at Zuke as Ellie rolled off of her lap and continued to sleep peacefully. She pouted as she stared at him. “You didn’t even know what I was going to say.”

“I don’t think I need to even guess,” Zuke groaned as he glanced up at the television to see the green 1010 member gyrate their hips. “Besides, it’s probably much colder out now than when we were out earlier.”

Mayday shivered at the thought. She crawled from the floor up onto the couch and hung over the back. She watched Zuke as he placed the box he was holding on the ground. He rummaged through the box and pulled out a record player. Mayday’s pink eyes lit up with excitement and grinned, already forgetting about being denied to see 1010.

“With what that jerk elitist guy said about them, I’m sooo pumped to hear this!”

After leaving NSR tower, Mayday and Zuke wandered about the city in search of a vinyl record from the disbanded group Inferno. They searched shop after shop with no avail. The underground group was certainly heard of by the clerks but they did not produce many records. And the ones that were produced were quickly sold out after the disbanding of the group. Just as they were about to give up and go home, they saw Joey hanging outside one of the shops. They asked if Joey heard about Inferno and, of course, the music snob went into a long lecture about them.

“The music they played before their disbanding certainly wasn’t as good as their earlier sound. The only thing that stayed consistent over the years was their bass player. I tell you, when she played, she could make even the hottest stages freeze over. Sigh...it’s a shame we’ll probably never see her again.”

With that, Joey loaned Mayday and Zuke one of Inferno’s first vinyls, which he considered one of their greatest works. With their find, they brought it back home and got ready to listen to it.

“I know he said this is one of their best albums,” Zuke said as he looked at the cover of the record with a raised brow. “But don’t you think a title called Paradise’s Lust is a bit extreme?”

Mayday tilted her head to the side and blinked in confusion. “There’s lots more dumber sounding names out there.”

“And what about this cover art?” Zuke said as he presented the cover to Mayday.

The art on the cover showed a crudely drawn red colored snake biting into an apple on a black background. Mayday looked at the art and snorted in laughter.

“I mean, art is art and I think I can see where they’re implying with the snake and apple symbolism but-“

“Who cares about that so long as it sounds good?” Mayday interrupted before Zuke went into one of his art rambles. “Let’s play it!”

Zuke snapped his mouth shut and nodded. He slipped the record out of its cover and carefully placed it on the player. After setting the needle in position on the record, he pressed play. The record started spinning and after a few moments of silence, music started to play.

The first song that played was loud and full of energy. A blaring guitar accompanied by a keyboard and subtle bass line followed. A male voice provided vocals, his voice smooth yet crash at the same time. The lyrics of the song were very explicit, not much surprise given the title of the album. Mayday couldn’t help but laugh at the lyrics while Zuke quietly covered his face, trying to hide the darkening shade of green that grew. At the end of the song, Zuke cleared his throat and looked at Mayday.

“Well...those lyrics were something,” he muttered.

Mayday wiped a stray tear from her eye as her laughing subsided. “Oh geez...but you got to admit, they don’t sound bad.”

“Yeah, I can see why they gained a following. They sound pretty good.”

The next three songs that played were close in energy to the first, though the lyrics were not as lustful. One of the songs was dedicated to dumping on NSR and the other two mentioned the disillusionment of society. The sound was pretty standard for a punk group: loud, raw and fast tempo. Finally, they came to the last song on the vinyl that was titled as “Diamond Dust.” 

Unlike the first four songs, this one was much slower and started with a simple bass line. Drums and a synthesizer followed suit. There was a noticeable lack of guitar in the song with it only playing a few chords here and there. A female vocalist sang to the ballad, her voice chilling and haunting. It was a song about isolation and sadness. The bass was the most prevalent instrument in the song and the person playing was definitely talented at it.

“That must be Mara playing and singing,” Zuke guessed as the song came to a close. “Joey was right about her playing, for sure.”

Mayday let out a yawn. “She’s good but that last song was so slow and booooring. I liked the more fast paced songs. I could never imagine wanting to play something that slow.”

“You need to think of another person’s perspective,” Zuke said with a chuckle as he took the needle off the record. “There’s nothing wrong with taking it slow.”

“I guess. Still a shame that group broke up. Slow bass song aside, I liked their stuff. Would’ve been cool to see them live.”

“We interrupt our broadcast for a breaking news bulletin-“

Mayday and Zuke stopped in their tracks and turned their attention to the broken television. Red flashed on the border of the screen as the newscaster came on. On the bottom in the screen a headline ticked past reading “Natura Under Attack.”

“Mayhem in the Natura District is currently ongoing as an unknown individual is attempting to disrupt a concert being given by the district’s charter and NSR megastar Yinu.”

Mayday jumped out of spot and rushed over to the television, nearly stepping on the sleeping Ellie. Zuke stared at the television in shock as the caster continued speaking.

“Not much information is being given as authorities access the scene but our station received video from an audience member who was in attendance.”

The news cut to a grainy video that was taken on someone’s cell phone. The video was focused on Yinu and her mother as they cheerfully played the piano on stage before a packed audience. Suddenly, a loud pounding came from the doors that lead to the seating area. The camera then focused on the doors as they flew open, being knocked off their hinges. A deep growl could be heard as someone stepped through the open doors. People were screaming and panicking, trying to leave the venue as a blue skinned woman came into focus. The shakiness of the camera and the people running around her made it impossible to get a clear view of her. The growling noise increased as a large, hazy, white shape entered through the door and stood behind the woman.

“Good evening, Yinu,” the woman spoke calmly.

The woman brought her hands to face level and made a motion that seemed all too familiar to Mayday and Zuke. Her index and pinky fingers stayed up as her thumb pressed into her middle and ring fingers.

“We’re Frostbite. And this performance is officially cancelled.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now things are getting heated. Or chilly.


	6. Frostbite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter, ahoy.

Mayday and Zuke stared at the screen in silent disbelief. The last thing anyone would’ve expected was a concert to be hijacked. With the aftermath of the satellite and the declaration to play whatever music people wanted, there was no reason to. But now was not the time to think about that.

The grainy cell phone video zoomed in on the blue skinned woman’s face. Like a predator watching prey She stared up at the stage, at Yinu and her mother, with unwavering blue eyes. Her long white hair bellowed behind her as it fluttered in the wind like a curtain. A silver necklace of a serpent biting its tail wrapped around the base of her neck. The neck of a bodiless bass guitar was slung behind her and rested on her back. The pose she struck was identical to the one that Mayday and Zuke saw earlier in that autographed photo. There was no mistaking who this was.

“Zuke!” Mayday gasped as she pointed at the television. “That’s-thats-!”

“It’s Mara,” Zuke muttered, his eyes not leaving the screen.

The missing bassist was found but the event certainly wasn’t joyous. The ticking banner on the bottom of the screen switched to read “Missing Bassist Currently Attempting to Hijack Concert in Natura District.” 

“What the heck is she doing!?” Mayday exclaimed as she slammed her hands on the floor. 

The cell phone video continued to play on the screen. The camera zoomed out to look at Yinu and her mother that remained on the stage. Yinu had stopped playing her piano and was visibly shaken. Her mother had stood up from her spot on the bench and glared at Mara. Her normally sleek red hair was beginning to turn into branches, angry at the intrusion. She stood ahead of Yinu, hiding her daughter behind her.

“What do you want?” Yinu’s mother bellowed. “Leave this place at once!”

Mara raised her head defiantly, her face remaining unemotional and stiff. “You’re not the hunt I seek. I have no business with you and don’t want to waste my energy. However, if picking off the smallest, weakest member of the herd lures the prize I want, then there’s no other option.”

Yinu grabbed at her mother’s dress in fear and looked up at her. “Mama…”

Yinu’s mother placed a hand on her daughter’s head to comfort her. She smiled at her daughter. “Don’t worry, my dear. So long as we’re together, nothing bad will happen to you.”

“The acoustics here are not very good for speaking,” Mara said coldly. “I hope you both are considering leaving here peacefully so we don’t have to fight.”

Yinu’s mother looked back at Mara.Her yellow eyes were filled with rage and she shouted. “Leave! Now!”

“Then let the hunt commence,” Mara responded in a quiet voice.

Mara reached behind her with her left hand and grabbed the neck of the bass. As she brought the bass to position, the body began to form. The body formed like ice, it’s clear body shimmering in the stage lights. The growling, white haze that was behind Mara began to take form as well. The mist shifted to two large wolf-like forms. The two beasts looked to be made of ice as a cold mist danced away from their bodies. Each beast had one blue eye and one dark colored eye, the colors swapping oppositely on the two of them. Almost embedded into their furlike bodies was what appeared to speakers that were almost encased in ice, making the appearance of armor. Their fangs were bared in a snarl as they stared at the stage. 

Yinu and her mother sat at the piano and began to play together. In the meantime, Mara began to pluck at the strings of her bass. The speakers embedded in the bodies of the wolves reverberated and played the low sounding chords that came from the instrument. They rushed towards the stage, their focus on Yinu as she played her heart out.

Before the beasts reached the stage, the cell phone video cut out and the news returned to the caster behind the desk. 

Mayday quickly got to her feet and looked to Zuke with a panicked look on her face.

“Zuke! We need to-“

“Don’t worry, way ahead of you,” Zuke answered as he went to go grab his drumsticks from his bunk. 

Mayday went to the side of the couch where her guitar rested against. Her thoughts were racing as she grabbed the instrument that once belonged to her idol by the neck. This would truly be the first time really performing with the guitar and she wasn’t sure if she was ready but she had a gut feeling that she needed to go to Natura. 

“Ok, Mayday,” she spoke to herself. “This will probably be really stupid and you have no idea what’s going on but it’s ok! You’ve done dumber things before!”

Zuke stepped out of the bedroom and looked at Mayday. He held a sweater for her in his hand and offered it to her. She shook her head at the offer.

“I’m too fired up for that!” She exclaimed as she slung the guitar’s strap around her and on her shoulder. “You ready for this?”

“You bet,” Zuke answered with a nod. 

Mayday nodded back and grinned as they made their way to the ladder that led out of the sewer.  
—————————  
The duo ran as fast as they could to the Natura District. With the breaking news, more people crowded the streets to see what exactly was going on. The Cast Tech and Akusuka districts were already busy due to people attending shows there but the venues were evacuated once news of Yinu’s concert spread. People mindlessly stood in the streets, wanting to know what exactly was happening.

After pushing through the crowd, Mayday and Zuke had made it to the district. NSR personnel were setting up a barricade around the walkway that led to Yinu’s venue. The beautiful forestlike district looked untouched by the cold weather. Mayday looked around and Tatiana was nowhere to be seen, thinking the leader of NSR would be the first on the scene once the news broke. She made her way to the gates that led to the venue but was stopped by a guard.

“Stop!” He ordered. “No one is allowed entry. We are to wait until Ms Tati-“

“Do you think I give a flying flip about that!?” Mayday shouted at the guard. “Yinu’s probably in trouble and we’re going on whether you like it or not.”

Mayday started shaking at bars to get them open while Zuke stood behind her.

“Wait a second, you’re Bunk Bed Junction! Don’t tell me you have something to do with this!?”

“Nah, our hijacking days are over,” Zuke said respectfully to the guard. “Think of this as a goodwill mission.”

“Zuke!! Help me open the gate!” Mayday shouted as she pulled at the bars.

Zuke looked at the gate and examined it closely while his partner continued to shake the gate. He looked at the handle and noticed there was no lock. He reached towards it and opened it. Mayday continued to shake the golden bars as the gate opened. Zuke cleared his throat to get her attention and she finally stopped.

“Alright, no more messing around,” Mayday said as she placed her hands on her hips in slight embarrassment. “Let’s go!”

Mayday and Zuke ran towards the concert hall. As they neared the venue, they couldn’t help but notice the temperature getting cooler than before. But even with the sudden dip in the air, the adrenaline was stoking the flame inside Mayday. In little time, they made it to the concert hall. Beautiful piano playing mixed with a driving bass line filled the air as they neared, a duet of two styles clashing with one another. Mayday and Zuke looked at each other only briefly before rushing inside, reminiscent of the first time they stormed this stage. But this time, they weren’t the ones causing the trouble.

“Have no fear! Bunk Bed Junction is here to-“ Mayday could finish her sentence after seeing the site before her.

The waterfalls that lined the concert hall were completely frozen into ice pillars. A layer of snow covered the seats in the audience and the vines that had erupted from the audience. The roof of the hall was ripped off and pale moonlight entered the venue, making the snow sparkle.

“Whoa...I’ve never seen it snow in Vinyl City before,” Zuke muttered breathlessly.

“It’s so...pretty,” Mayday said as she looked at the glittering snow.

The sound of Yinu’s mother screaming in pain interrupted the two as they snapped their attention towards the stage. The red woman was in her giant form and was tossed from the stage and into the audience. She rolled several meters, stopping just before Mayday and Zuke. The duo ran in front of Yinu’s mother. Her eyes were clenched shut and she was curled up defensively. She was clutching something in her hands, as if to protect it. 

“Oh no, are you ok!?” Mayday said as she looked at the mother.

Yinu’s mother slowly opened her eyes. Her golden eyes widened in shock as she looked at Mayday and Zuke.

“You two? But...why?”

“Think of this as an apology for what happened last time,” Mayday said cheekily. Zuke gave a small nod in response.

“How very touching…” a chilling voice called out from the stage.

Mayday and Zuke snapped their heads to look at the stage. On the stage was Mara. The right side of her body was encased in a layer of frost. The two beasts that were with her earlier were longer in sight but the white mist had returned and lingered behind her. She took a step towards the edge of the stage, her blue gaze staring down at the duo. Her face held no emotion but her eyes burned with unbridled rage once she made contact with Mayday and Zuke.

Mayday took a step forward, staring angrily at the bassist. “Why are you doing this!? Hijacking concerts solves nothing!”

“That’s real rich coming from you,” Mara growled in response. The air suddenly dropped even lower in temperature as she spoke. ”After what happened, you suddenly think you know everything? Especially when you don’t know what your actions have caused.”

“What are you talking about?” Mayday shouted. “I’ve never even heard of you till the other day!”

“Yeah, what are you getting at?” Zuke shot back to the bassist.

“It doesn’t matter,” Mara said in a quiet tone. “Not anymore. Inferno is long gone now and the flame has died off.”

“Ugh! I’ve had enough of this!” Mayday groaned as she slung her guitar off her shoulder. She grabbed the guitar by the neck and started running towards the stage, with Zuke yelling at her to come back.

Mayday jumped onto the stage and was ready to swing at Mara. Rather than move away from the blow, Mara countered with her own bass. Mayday gritted her teeth as the two clashed. As they swung their instruments and played their music, Mara spoke.

“A good bassist knows how to mesh with their guitarist, following their steps as they play. A great bassist will always be one step ahead of them. Which category do you think I fall under, pup?”

“Shut it! Less talking and more rocking!” Mayday retorted.

As they continued to play, Mayday began to grow tired. Be it her own perseverance or the cold getting to her, she knew she couldn’t give up. However, the bassist had a trick up her sleeve. Mara played a chord and the haze behind her reverberated. The sound sent Mayday off the stage and into the snow covered seats. Zuke quickly came to his partner’s aid and assisted her to her feet. 

“You may have Kul Fyra’s guitar but the flame you carry is too weak to wield it properly.” Mara’s words were like a dagger to the heart. Mayday leaned into Zuke as she stabilized herself, staring defiantly at Mara.

“Shut up!” Mayday shouted back at the bassist. “I’m tired of you, your ice stuff, and your talking. Zuke, let’s do it!”

“Right!” Zuke said as he readied his drumsticks.

As the two were about to perform their showstopper, a large figure stood in their way. Yinu’s mother blocked the two from the stage as she crouched down to her level. She still clutched her hands tightly and stared at the duo.

“This battle is not yours today,” Yinu’s mother spoke calmly. “You need to leave this place.”

“And let this snobby ice queen win?” Mayday shouted in disbelief. “Yeah, no thanks.”

“Please,” Yinu’s mother pleaded. “If you don’t do it for my sake, do it for her.”

Yinu’s mother opened her hands and revealed Yinu, who was shivering in a tightly curled ball. Mayday and Zuke looked at Yinu with sadness as the young girl was clearly affected by the cold. Much like a flower, the cold easily overcame her and she was in no state to continue to stay here. Mayday looked at Zuke, her face twisted in concern. They looked back at Yinu’s mother.

“Alright, we’ll take her and leave,” Mayday said in a small, defeated voice. She felt a knot in the back of throat as bitterness stung at her eyes.

“You have my sincerest gratitude,” Yinu’s mother said warmly as Zuke took the shivering girl into his arms. “I’ll hold her off as long as I can. Just get Yinu out of here safely.”

“Don’t worry, we promise,” Zuke said quietly. He looked at Mayday, who had her fists clenched and was looking at the ground. “C’mon, May. We need to go.”

Mayday gave a curt nod and didn’t say another word. They turned towards the exit and ran out, leaving Yinu’s mother behind to face Mara one-on-one. 

They ran as fast as they could back to where they started. When they made it to the gates, Tatiana was already there. The statuesque leader of NSR was not surprised in the least and calmly spoke, unaware of what happened within the concert hall.

“Why am I not surprised you two hooligans are already here?” Tatiana said aloud.

“Please, Tatiana!” Mayday rushed over her idol. “You need to take Yinu. We need to go back and-“

“Slow down, Mayday!” Tatiana threw her hands up into the air. “What are you even getting at?”

Tatiana looked over to Zuke, who still had Yinu in his arms. At that sight, Tatiana’s eyes immediately widened and she rushed over. She scooped the young pianist into her arms and cradled her closely. She looked at the shivering girl and then noticed the scuff marks on Mayday. Tatiana was baffled.

“W-What is the meaning of this?”

“It means you’re too late.”

The heels of Mara’s shoes clacked against the ground as she sauntered slowly to the gate. In her left hand she carried her bass by the neck. In her right, she held the platinum disc that belonged to Natura. She held the disc up and showed it to the group.

“I believe this makes me the charter of this district now,” she spoke in a cold, monotonous tone. She looked over at Mayday and Zuke. “And this means you lose this round.”

“You sniveling, snowy-“ Mayday growled.

“We’re done playing for now,” Mara said back in a calm tone. “Come back when you handle the cold a bit better.”

Before Mayday could respond back, Mara began to pluck at the strings of her bass. As she played, an ice wall fortified around the golden gates, sealing off the area from everyone else. 

A triumphant howl could be heard in the distance as the sound of Mara’s heels grew more distant. A light snow began to fall from the sky, a weather phenomenon that hadn’t happened in Vinyl City for as long as anyone could remember.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here she is! Mysterious bassist Mara finally enters the scene and it seems her sights are focused on B2J for some reason. After the disbanding of Inferno, which was a punk rock group, Mara primarily plays the sub-genre known as “Coldwave” and death rock. Frostbite consists of her and two “subwoofers”: Alto and Bari. More about those two will be revealed later.
> 
> Headcanon or canon, I believe that Vinyl City is set in either Malaysia or Southeast Asia. Therefore, the likelihood of snow is impossible, hence the comment at the end. But, as stated by the devs in the AMA, the powers generated by the artists hinges on their creativity and can transcend basic realistic laws, as seen in DJSS’s fight. So unlike a far North American/European winter that’s typically below freezing, the cold snap in this story would more or less just be a very light sweater. Well, except near Mara.
> 
> I’m half debating on setting up a discord server for this story just if anyone has any questions or want to discuss. Especially since there’s a lot of brainstorming and thought that went into this character. But I’m always done for explaining comments too if things don’t make sense. And more details will be revealed as the story goes on. 
> 
> Regardless, I hope you all enjoy it!


	7. Ideals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation between leader and renegade.

A few days had passed since the Natura District was taken over by the renegade bassist Mara. The weather in Vinyl City remained cold but the snow had subsided. Many of the city’s residents were unaccustomed to the powdery conditions; some enjoyed playing in the snow while others panicked at the change. Surprisingly, the energy output had remained the same and there was currently no fear of the city freezing completely. No one was sure why, especially with Yinu now becoming unable to play, DJ Subatomic Supernova unavailable for some “personal matters”, and Sayu still having technical difficulties. Though no one really questioned it either.

The area around the Natura District was blocked off by giant walls of ice, leaving the area untouched since the insurrection. Guards patrolled around the area, ensuring no one could get in while the ice remained. That still didn’t stop some from tagging the icy walls with graffiti. Some were random works of art but a majority were images showing support of Mara. Artworks of wolves, snowflakes, and her iconic hand signal covered the ice walls and had started to appear in the city. Even her music started to play on the radio. Whether people enjoyed her because of her music or due to the chaos she caused was up for debate.

Tatiana was not sure what to think of the situation. She had a city to run and this was the last thing she wanted to handle on top of the current energy situation. Obviously, she was not happy that one of her top performing artists was attacked. She wasn’t happy that the progress the city was making felt like it was regressing. However, she was surprised at the invitation of having a meeting with the very woman who caused the unrest. A welcomed change in Tatiana’s opinion unlike the last uprising.

Tatiana sat in her office, patiently waiting for the meeting to begin. She preferred to handle these things face-to-face but accepted the conference via telecommunication. She hoped to achieve some sort of agreement with Mara or at the very least see what caused her to attack the Natura District in the first place. Even if she couldn’t manage her goals, Tatiana was not going to allow one renegade nearly destroy her city again.

The massive screen before her desk flickered on and stirred Tatiana from her thoughts. On screen was Mara, sitting on a chair that appeared to be made of ice. She sat with her legs crossed, her arms resting on the chair’s handles. She stared at the screen with an emotionless gaze.

“Good afternoon, Tatiana,” Mara spoke in a calm tone. “Thank you for taking the time to speak with me.”

Tatiana couldn’t help but be amused with how eloquent Mara seemed to be. A much different scenario than the last time she was confronted by a certain two.

“It's a pleasant surprise that you’re not busting down my office door just to scream ideals to me,” Tatiana responded.

“I like to take a more graceful approach to my problems, only using action if things don’t appear to be working.”

“That’s a bit funny you say that when one of the first actions you take is attacking one of my artists.”

Mara glanced down at the ground for a brief second before looking back at Tatiana with a hardened gaze. “I will not deny my actions were hypocritical and I apologize for that. Is the little flower recovering?”

“Yinu is recovering,” Tatiana answered, a bit surprised by Mara’s concern for the pianist. “Physically she is fine but emotionally she is distraught. What of her mother?”

“I assure you her mother is fine. She is in...a bit of a slumber, at the moment. I did not intend to fight them. I just wanted the district for my own.”

“Taking over a district and attacking my artists is something I cannot overlook. Why did you specifically choose to hijack that district?”

“A pack will choose the smallest, weakest, or sickest member of a herd, single them out, and then make their move. The little girl fit the criteria. But it’s also for a more selfish reason as the openness and wilderness resonates with me.”

“Of course,” Tatiana said as she folded her arms over her chest. “It’s mostly because of the beasts that accompany you.”

“My pets are more reliable than my old bandmates and deserve some reward. They enjoy having the extra space to run and play.”

“You’ve completely shut down one of the city’s districts for your own selfish desires. Do you not care for the people of this city or the long-term effects this inclement weather may impose?”

“If I really was as selfish as you claim me to be, then why would I be helping and supporting the city by supplying the energy my music provides. Your citizens won’t freeze...so long as you stay on my good side.”

Tatiana shifted forward in her seat as her eyes narrowed on the screen. “Is that a threat?”

Mara took a long pause before she started to speak. “Tatiana, you and I have more in common than you may know. Even though we both have different perspectives on what is better music, never once have I questioned or disregarded what your organization has given to the city. I believed in your message of order and-“

“If you’re trying to flatter me, you’re going to have to try a lot harder than that,” Tatiana interrupted in a harsh tone.

Mara gave a small half-hearted laugh. “The uprising in the city shifted the order and I set out to make things right. In some regards, you allowed Vinyl City to be thrown into chaos that it found itself in. You could have very easily stopped the outburst before it reached your front door. But you didn’t. You expected your artists to handle the situation yet they all fell, one after another. Day after day, the angry mobs grew and, like a wildfire, it nearly destroyed us all.”

Tatiana quietly sat back in her seat as Mara spoke. In some aspects, she knew the bassist was correct. She could’ve easily tried to intervene at the beginning of Bunk Bed Junction’s music revolution but she was no longer a performer. After all, now she was a leader of a company and a figurehead of the city. She wanted to handle this as diplomatically as she could and let the people have an opinion. Unfortunately for her, the citizens seemed to revel in the chaos. However, she couldn’t help but feel that maybe there was also a little part of her that wanted to see the indie rock duo succeed. With Tatiana’s silence, Mara continued to speak.

“Another uprising can happen again at any point and will you be prepared to stop them? Will artists be able to stop them when they were easily defeated by two little pests? I do not seek to control NSR, Tatiana. But I can help you. Ice can support. Ice can fortify. Ice can protect.”

Tatiana slammed her hands on her desk and stood up. Her magenta eyes burned with fury as she stared at the screen, locking eyes with Mara.

“Enough of this. I do not need someone who claims they seek order when their actions reflect the opposite. I want no part in what you’re offering and you can very well shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Mara stared back at Tatiana without emotion for several seconds. Suddenly, the edges of her lips twitched and her lips drew back to form a creepy smile that seemed uncomfortable for her.

“The cold won’t be ending anytime soon,” Mara said through her gritted smile. “I’ll continue to provide energy for the Qwasa, for now. But don’t be surprised if I suddenly decide to stop. I hope the trust you put into your artists will help when that time comes.”

The fake smile she wore subsided as her face went back to its neutral, unemotional state. In the background, a barking noise could be heard as the ticking of claws running on the ground drew closer. Mara’s eyes widened as the noise grew closer and she looked off camera.

“Bari, slow down. You’re going to-“

The image of Mara became distorted as the camera fell to the ground with a loud bang. The lens of the camera was cracked and focused on the bassist’s high heeled boots. Tatiana heard a loud sigh from Mara and watched as she stood up. Instead of adjusting the camera back into an upright position, Mara bent over and looked into the camera. Her head was upside down and her long white hair brushed the floor of the stage.

“My apologies for that. I enjoyed our little chat but I believe this meeting is over. Think about my words, Tatiana. Because it’s going to get very cold, very soon.”

Before Tatiana could say another word, the image of Mara disappeared. The screen went to black, leaving Tatiana by herself in silence. She stared at the screen for a few moments before sitting back down in her seat, sinking into the chair to try to ground herself. She placed a hand on her head and rubbed at her temple. After a moment of quiet reflection, she sat back up.

“I better gather everyone…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tatiana and Mara have a long chat that doesn’t go well. But is Mara really truthful in the reason why she’s doing this? Or is there an underlying reason?


	8. Licking Wounds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two sewermates having a conversation.

“Onto our top story of the day, Frostbite, the rock group currently in control of the Natura District, has been steadily climbing the charts and gaining more popularity. Mara, bassist and leader of the group, has sent us a video and commented on the development.”

The camera cut to Mara, who was sitting on her throne made of ice. There was a crack in the image, due to her camera being damaged a day before. Mara stared at the camera, her face stiff and emotionless. She spoke with confidence, trying to sound friendly but even that sounded mechanical.

“I want to thank the citizens of Vinyl City for their support. When I returned to the city, I never would have expected the response I received and it...warms me. I know my presence might make some uncomfortable or afraid. That is natural when change occurs. To the people who think I am only here to cause trouble or spread false ideals, I implore you to listen to me. I am not a monster. I wish to bring people together with my music, accept them as members of my pack. The loners, the misfits, all who don’t feel like they belong. Remember, when you walk amongst your brothers and sisters, you are never truly alone.”

“Mayday! Don’t even think about it!”

“Don't stop me, Zuke! I’m going to do it!”

“Punching my TV isn’t going to solve anything! Please, I’m begging you. It can’t take another hit.”

“Ok, ok, fine.”

Mayday took a collective breath and glanced once more at the broken television. As Mara finished speaking, she brought her hands up to head and struck her pose, causing Mayday to once again go into a frenzy. She charged at the television, only to be stopped by Zuke wrapping his arms around her and interlocking her arms. Mayday thrashed about as the drummer tightened his grip.

“May, I understand you’re upset but taking it out the TV won’t fix anything!”

“That smug, snowy hack of a performer is just asking for her face to get punched in!”

“I get where you’re coming from but punching my TV isn’t the same as punching someone’s face! Now relax.”

Mayday struggled in Zuke’s grasp for several moments but started to tire herself out. The guitarist slumped to the floor as Zuke loosened his restraint on her. After sulking on the cold ground for a few beats, she crawled over to the couch and climbed onto it. She planted her face in the cushion and laid as flat as a plank. Zuke followed her to the sofa and sat beside her head. A commercial of Sayu trying to sell some sort of sweet food played, providing white noise as the duo sat there.

“It sucks that we pretty much had our butts handed to us by Mara but we can’t keep dwelling on it,” Zuke said in a guiet, comforting tone. He looked down at Mayday, whose head was still buried in the cushion. “We just didn’t know what we were getting into.”

Mayday grumbled into the cushion, her words completely indiscernible. Zuke’s eyebrows knitted together as he looked at her.

“Uh...what did you say?”

Mayday let out a loud groan as she rolled over onto her back. She stared up at the ceiling of their sewer home, focusing on nothing in particular.

“I’m not even mad about losing,” Mayday responded. “Usually I’d be super, super mad about that but this time I’m not. It’s what she said to me after we clashed that just...ugh!”

As she grunted, Mayday’s arms flailed about and nearly struck Zuke. She muttered a quick apology before continuing to speak.

“I know I’ve been in a rut lately, after everything that happened before this. And this talk about fire and flames and stuff makes no sense to me. Do you think I’m thinking too much about this? Or is it true about my flame being too small?”

Zuke blinked as he tried to process what Mayday just said. It was rare for her to act this vulnerable, even in the time he’s known her. Her usual smash first, ask questions later demeanor was not one brood. The drummer took a breath.

“I think she was just trying to get under your skin,” Zuke said as he rubbed the back of his neck with his gloved hand. “I wouldn’t try to take it personally.”

“You think I’m trying not to?” Mayday responded in a loud voice. She brought her hands up to her head and mimicked Mara’s pose, speaking in a tone to mock the bassist. “‘Your flame is too small blah blah, pup, blah blah.’ Why can’t people just make sense when they talk and not speak cryptically?”

“...That’s not exactly trying to not take it personally. And some people just like to phrase things in a poetic sense.” 

Mayday groaned as she rolled back onto her stomach and looked up at Zuke. “Who does she think she is anyway!? She just comes walking in with-with her stupid bass and her ice dogs and says that we are a problem!? No one even knows what happened to Yinu’s mom!”

Zuke sat back further on the couch and brought his hand to his chin. It was odd that there was no word about the fate of Yinu’s mother but chalked it up to not wanting to further alarm the city. Regardless of that, he couldn’t help but think about the angry look in Mara’s eyes once he and Mayday arrived. He looked away from Mayday as his mind drifted into thought.

“Now that I think about it, she seemed much more angry once we appeared. She even accused us of something…”

“Which makes no sense because we’ve never met her before! Ugh, she might’ve won the first match but she’s going down next time. I’ll show her just how heated I can really get.”

“Yeah, but I doubt that we’re going to be involved in that.” Zuke looked back at Mayday as he pressed his head in the sofa’s cushions. His blue dreads sprawled out like petals on a flower. “Tatiana seemed pretty adamant that NSR is going to handle this issue. The city isn’t used to temperatures like this and it’s only a matter of time before something gives. Besides, we should leave it to her to handle things and take it easy. We’re not really in the best mindset to go toe-to-toe with a bassist with a vendetta.”

Mayday’s cell phone chirped and vibrated on the floor, stealing the duo’s attention. She quickly reached out to grab it and stared at the screen, reading the text message. 

“Oh, it’s Tatiana. She wants us over at her office ASAP.” She looked up at Zuke with a smug expression on her face. “You were saying?”

Zuke didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the timing of Tatiana contacting them. He let out a sigh as he stood up from his seat. “Alright, let’s get going then.”

Zuke exited their living room to go get ready to leave. Mayday slipped off the couch, slithering onto the floor before standing up. On the television, Mara’s image returned and this time she was performing on her bass. A slick but somber sounding bass line played as the bassist plucked at the strings of her instrument. Mayday stared at the broken television, weighing her options whether she should destroy it or not.

“May! Don't even think about it!” Zuke shouted from the other room.

“Fiiiine,” Mayday groaned as she exited the room.

The music on the television continued to play for several moments. However, that came to an abrupt stop when a frying pan launched from the other side of the room, embedding itself into the television screen and breaking it for good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, we just reached a pretty big milestone of 1000 hits! Thank you all so much for reading. Whether you enjoy the story or not, it makes me happy that you gave it a chance. I was hoping to have a drawing ready to celebrate the moment, but real life hasn’t been as kind to me. So hopefully that’ll be coming soon! Thank you all so so much!
> 
> Now, onto the notes. This will probably be one of the last quiet moments in the story before we get to the actual meat. So battle hype incoming. 
> 
> I’m a sucker for one-on-one character interactions and more quiet moments like this. One of my major gripes if that I felt there wasn’t enough of these more relaxed moments in between bosses. Though I understand why, it’s just a little nitpick on my end. But I hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> Thank you all so much again and I’ll see you at the next update!
> 
> Also, an f in chat for the TV.


	9. Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting of megastars

The sound of voices speaking loudly behind closed doors were heard as Mayday and Zuke approached Tatiana’s office. The dialogue was indiscernible but sounded heated as one voice angrily spoke. It was safe to assume that Tatiana had also called in her megastars in for discussion and things were not going smooth. Without much forethought, Mayday opened the doors to the office and let themselves in.

As expected, all of NSR’s top artists were gathered in Tatiana’s office. None of them seemed to notice the entrance of Bunk Bed Junction and continued arguing. All were seated in front of the CEO’s desk, with the exception of Eve who was standing by Tatiana’s right side. DJ Subatomic Supernova sat staring at the screen of his phone, casting an aura of being annoyed that he had to sit in on this meeting. In the chair beside him was a small tablet screen that projected the image of Sayu. The mermaid idol seemed to finally overcome her technical difficulties, though her stream was notably still lagging. Yinu sat quietly in the chair beside Sayu. The young pianist was curled up in the chair with her legs tucked under her chin. Her swollen, tear-filled eyes stared at the ground as the others around spoke. Lastly, the eccentric, militaristic cyborg manager of 1010, Neon J., was standing out of his seat and was the one speaking at the time. He marched over to Tatiana’s desk and slammed his hands on the surface.

“My troops can easily reclaim the Natura District!” Neon J. boasted. “We can easily bring the heat and several flamethrowers for backup. We cannot be defeated!”

“Yes, because burning down the ice as well as the entire district will help us so much,” Eve responded sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

“I do not see you suggesting anything at the moment,” Neon J. shot back at the diva in a harsh tone. “What would you suggest: attacking the enemy with your artwork? Are you going to force them to walk through your gallery? The threat must be dealt with immediately and with force!”

Eve glared at the cyborg, clenching her fists to her side. “How dare you insult me!? And how is your brute force going to help when your precious factory and robots get frozen over?”

“1010 will never get frozen over! We will fight on even if our blood turns to ice!”

Before Eve could respond with an insult of her own, Tatiana calmly raised her hand to silence the two. She brought a hand to her temple and rubbed at it.

“The bickering you two are doing is enough to give me a headache,” Tatiana said with a groan as they muttered quick half-apologies. Once she finished, Tatiana straightened herself out and looked at Neon J. “I understand the direction you wish to take and I value your input, Neon J. Your group can easily storm the Natura District and be able to reclaim it. However, I need 1010 to continue to perform no matter the circumstances. They are the only ones that can handle the temperature change with no disruption to their performance. We need them to continue to perform in order to power the Qwasa.”

Upon hearing those words, Neon J. quickly straightened up and gave a salute to Tatiana. “Have no fear, ma’am. 1010 will follow your orders till the very end! We will have flamethrowers on standby.”

Tatiana gave a nod as Neon J. returned to his seat beside Yinu. At this moment, she finally realized that Mayday and Zuke we’re quietly standing at the doors of her office. She motioned them to come closer to the group. The duo gave a nod and waved awkwardly to the group. DJ Subatomic Supernova gave a curt half-wave. The image of Sayu waved her arms happily in greeting, her stream cutting in and out as she did so. Neon J. stood up and saluted the two before returning to his seat. Eve gave a small wave but remained neutral. Lastly, Yinu did not react to them and continued to stare at the ground.

“I’m happy you two were able to come on such short notice,” Tatiana said to the rock duo. “As you can see, we’re currently discussing ways to resolve Mara’s influence and reclaim the Natura District. And, as you can see, there hasn’t been much progress.”

“Uhh, I can see that,” Mayday muttered as she looked at the NSR artists. With only Neon J. being the most attentive of the group and Sayu continuously dropping frames, it didn’t take much to notice that this meeting has been pretty much a disaster. “But why do you want us here?”

“I wished for an outside perspective,” Tatiana answered. She glanced at her artists with a hint of irritation. “As you can see, we haven’t really broken much ground and ideas haven’t really been sticking.”

“I didn’t hate the idea of the flamethrowers,” Mayday gushed as Zuke chided her quietly. “That might be pretty sweet to see.”

“Thank you!” Neon J. shouted enthusiastically as Tatiana raised her hand once again to quiet him down.

“We are not going to use flamethrowers,” Tatiana grumbled. “That could risk the ecosystem in the area and potentially cause damage to the neighboring districts. We want to reclaim the district, not annihilate it.”

“This is preposterous,” DJ Subatomic Supernova groaned as he took a moment away from his phone. “If we’re going to continue to waste my time and not come up with any resounding ideas, then can this meeting be adjourned? I have more pressing matters to deal with.”

“And what is that?” Eve responded in an annoyed tone. “You have been unresponsive to our calls for the past few days while you’ve been running around the city buying out all of that disgusting ice cream you love.”

The DJ straightened his posture, emitting an imposing aura as he shifted his attention to Eve. “First, what I handle in my personal life is none of your concern. Second, it is a reasonable investment and my stockpile has reached a quantity I have only dreamed about. Third, Mr. Dodo Ice Pops are the pinnacle of frozen treats currently available. You have no right to judge them.”

“Wait, the temperature in outer space is well below freezing,” Zuke pointed out in a quiet voice. “Shouldn’t the cold weather be no issue for you too?”

DJ Subatomic Supernova shrugged. “You are correct that the temperature in outer space is much harsher than what we experience on Earth. I can easily handle the threat that this woman is imposing. However, do I really desire or care to face the woman who is inadvertently causing the drastic price reduction of my favorite ice cream, thus allowing me to buy out its entire stock with no competition? I think it doesn’t require a college degree, let alone graduating primary school to know what my answer will be, Plutonian.”

Zuke stared at the DJ with his mouth open, not sure how to respond to his abrasive answer. Mayday threw her hands into the air, attracting the attention of those in the room.

“I think you should let me at her!” The guitarist shouted. “I’ll cut her down to size and show her not to mess with us!”

Zuke placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. “May, we talked about this-“

“Why use mean actions when we can use words?” Sayu’s overly optimistic voice came from the tablet. Her voice had a bit of a metallic edge to it as she spoke and her avatar’s animation was choppy and unresponsive at times but the idol continued to act as animated as she could. “We don’t need to hurt people when we can just love each other!”

Tatiana let out a loud sigh. “I’ve tried talking to Mara and we could not reach an agreement. That’s why I brought you all here to find a new option.”

“Yeah and I really don’t want to hug out my problems with someone who is about as relatable as an ice cube,” Mayday growled.

Being the creation of four talented teenagers, the Sayu team’s nativity to the current situation was admirable. Sayu, ever still in character, continued to speak.

“But did you try to use the power of love in your talk? Love can easily-“

“Stop it! Everyone stop!”

Yinu’s small, strained voice snapped everyone’s attention to her. Tears were streaming down her face as tiny fists were clenched into tight balls in her lap. She was so emotional she had no control over the volume of her voice as she spoke.

“I am tired of all of you arguing! I just want to see mama and save her! If none of you are going to figure it out, I’ll go to the district myself and...and-!”

Yinu could not even finish her sentence as she broke down into loud sobs. Tatiana quickly left her desk and went over to the crying pianist to comfort her. Yinu’s words left a sobering impression on those all gathered, reminding them this isn’t just about reclaiming the district. It was also to save Yinu’s mother and to stop Mara from potentially leaving untold damage to the city. 

The phone on Tatiana’s desk began to ring. The mogul passed Yinu off to Neon J., who continued, albeit awkwardly, to comfort the crying child. Tatiana reached for the phone and answered it.

“This is Tatiana...Yes, I am in my office...What!? How could this-...She managed to do what?...You try to override it, I’ll handle the situation on my end.” She slammed her phone on the receiver and marched over to the large windows that overlooked the city.

Everyone in the room stared at Tatiana in confusion.

“Sooo...what was that?” Mayday spoke aloud, speaking the thought everyone was thinking.

Tatiana let out a heavy sigh. “Our “friend” has managed to hijack communications in the city and is sending a message across all airways.”

Mayday was the first to shoot forward from her spot and joined Tatiana by the window, Zuke following after her. The remaining artists, minus Yinu, joined over by the window with DJ Subatomic Supernova holding Sayu’s tablet to view what was happening.

The blimp that floated above the city was in view of the tower. On the screen that usually featured advertisements or whenever a special announcement was made was Mara. The crack in the corner of the camera was still present but the picture was clear. The bassist stood on the stage that once belonged to Yinu, the curtains closed behind her.

“People of Vinyl City, I wish you a pleasant afternoon,” Mara announced in a calm voice. “This evening marks the night of the full moon. In celebration, I wish to hold a very special performance where I ask all of the artists of NSR to hold a collaboration with me.”

Mara stretches her arms out wide and the curtains drew back, revealing the stage behind her. On the stage were ice sculptures, carved in the likeness of every major figure of NSR. The bassist walked slowly towards each of the sculptures, continuing to speak as she did so.

“I’ve tried to make amends and shown partnership with the city’s beloved leader, Tatiana, but my offer fell on deaf ears.” She stopped at the sculpture of Tatiana. After several moments of silence, Mara faced the camera. “I only strived to make the city a better place. Where no one would face the cold alone. For everyone to be together. So now, I ask all of NSR to become members of my pack. To revoke my offer is a mistake you would not wish to make. Join me in Natura, perform with me, accept the offer and become one of the pack. One with Frostbite.” 

Mara wasn’t finished yet though. She walked to the back of the stage where there was something being draped with a fabric. “There is one more very special announcement I wish to make…”

The bassist grabbed the corner of the fabric and pulled it off. Now in view were two ice sculptures carved in the likeness of Mayday and Zuke. The duo stared at the image in disbelief as Mara draped her arms on the shoulders of the ice versions of them.

“I wish to extend a very special invitation to a specific indie duo.” Mara’s tone took a much more dangerous turn. “To Bunk Bed Junction: I want to continue the chat we had the last time we met. You both claim you stand with the “little guy” yet your actions speak otherwise. Your reckless actions nearly brought the city to ruin. Yet, you are celebrated as heroes and not as the vermin you really are. But, I am willing to make amends with you and talk with you like a civilized person. I hope you both decide to participate in the celebration and join me…”

Mayday could feel her blood begin to boil as Mara finished speaking. How badly did she want to storm out the tower and go confront Mara at this very instant. But she forced herself to stay and finish watching.

The bassist walked away from the two ice sculptures to an empty place on the stage. She held her right hand up in the air, dramatically stretching it out, and then snapped her fingers. With the snap of her fingers, the ice throne quickly formed before her. She twirled on her heels and sat on her throne. After taking her seat, the two massive canine beasts joined her. Unlike when they made their first appearance, their bodies looked more natural. What once was icelike now took the appearance of white fur with a light blue hue that colored their backs and that framed their faces like a mask. The speakers were no longer embedded in their bodies, instead wearing special collars that had woofers and subwoofers built into them. The beast on Mara’s right hand side had one blue eye on the left and a dark right eye. The wolfdog had a serious expression as she stared at the camera. The beast on the left with the blue eye on the right had a more jovial expression, panting as Mara stroked the fur on the top of his head. Mara tore her attention away from her two “bandmates” and looked directly at the camera.

“I hope you reach your decision soon and accept the invitation. See you at the celebration.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s happening! It’s happening!
> 
> This chapter came out a lot quicker just because it was fun to write. I had a lot of fun trying to channel all the different artists of NSR, DJSS and Neon J being the most fun. I hope you enjoyed the banter.
> 
> Now Mara is finally making her move. I’m not sure how quickly I’ll be able to update because it’s been really hinging in real life stuff and how much fun I’m having. Believe me, this story has been amazing to write and everyone’s input has made it worthwhile. Unfortunately real life sucks. However, I hope to have an image of Mara and her subwoofers, Alto and Bari soon. Also, side thought, it’s hard for me not to imagine Mara casually twirling around her ice sculptures while singing Halsey’s song “Castle.”
> 
> Thank you all for your continued support! See you next update!


	10. Safety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even the best of friends butt heads sometimes.

Everyone in Tatiana’s office stood in silence. After Mara’s announcement and less-than-subtle threat to both NSR and Bunk Bed Junction, the range of emotions varied. A mix of turmoil and fear washed over Yinu like a wave. Eve stood quietly, confused but certainly not happy with what just transpired. While their lack of facial expressions made it hard to tell what they were thinking, both DJ Subatomic Supernova and Neon J. seemed concerned with the manager of 1010 being the most. Sayu has disconnected during the broadcast and could no longer be in attendance. A chill went up Zuke’s spine, deeply disturbed by Mara’s threat to both himself and Mayday. Mayday, on the other hand, was visually fuming and ready to start a fight. While Tatiana was slightly shaken by what Mara said, the leader of NSR remained stoic. She cleared her throat, garnering the attention of everyone around her.

“Now we have no choice but to take action,” Tatiana declared. “Though she expects all of us to be in attendance it would be foolish for all of us to go, only to fall for her trap. I am making the suggestion that no one is to step into Natura and-“

“Uh uh, no way!” Mayday interrupted brashly. “I am sick and tired of seeing this-this ice queen shutting down everything! We’re going in there and bringing her down once and for all.”

“May, shouldn’t we think about this a moment?” Zuke interjected with a strained voice. Mayday turned to face her bandmate and locked eyes with him, her magenta eyes burning with determination. 

“Zuke, she just called everyone here out! We need to do something about or who knows what she’ll do.”

“I understand that, but-“ Zuke tried to speak but he was interrupted by Tatiana.

“Unfortunately, Mayday is right. We have no idea what Mara plans to do now but she did threaten to stop powering the Qwasa if we were to make her angry. I cannot risk the city losing power, especially with the weather getting colder. For that reason, I’m going to need all of my artists who can continue to perform to do so. Just so we can have backup energy in the event that she follows through with her threat. And, given how serious she seemed when I chatted with her, she most definitely would.”

A sly grin crept onto Mayday’s face realizing what was about to happen. “Then it’s up to us to reclaim the district.”

“I won’t stop you if you decide to,” Tatiana responded with a nod. “I have no control over your guy’s actions. But if you decide against doing that, then I’ll have to come up with another idea.”

Mayday jumped up and punched at the air. “Oh, heck yes! This’ll be-“

“May, can I discuss something with you alone?” Zuke asked in a quiet, serious tone. Mayday looked at her bandmate in surprise but agreed.

While Tatiana began discussing a plan of action with her artists, Mayday followed Zuke out of the office. They closed the doors behind them to give themselves some privacy as they stood in the hallway. Mayday looked at her partner with a smile on her face.

“So what you want to talk about?” Mayday asked in a cheerful tone. Zuke kept his back to her and her mood deflated when she watched his shoulders slump. “What’s wrong, Zuke?”

Zuke remained silent for several moments before taking a breath. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea to go against Mara.”

“Why?” Mayday asked. She ran in front of Zuke so she could see the expression on his face. His red eyes averted her gaze but his face was twisted with concern. “Zuke, this wouldn’t be the first time we’ve done something like this. We’ll be fine!”

“But you heard and saw her in the broadcast. The tone in her voice, the ice sculptures...she really wants to hurt us. This feels like a dangerous trap.”

Mayday rolled her eyes, growing frustrated with Zuke’s sudden apprehension. “She’s over dramatic and takes too much inspiration from movies. When we get there, we’ll show her what’s up!”

“But we don’t even know what happened to Yinu’s mom! Mayday, I don’t think she’s playing around and Tatiana is right. This feels like a trap and we’ll be falling right into it.”

“Zuke! If no one stops her, who will? NSR can’t do anything about it now. It’s up to us to stop her!”

“But they have the resources to stop her! Are you sure this isn’t just your wounded pride getting in the way?”

Mayday looked at partner in stunned silence. Zuke never was one to argue but he was never one to mince words. Going up against Mara had turned personal to Mayday the moment when the bassist insulted her and she wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip. However, she could see her bandmate’s conflicting feelings and could not disregard that. She took a deep breath and looked at the ground. Zuke, realizing how hurtful his words were to Mayday, spoke up.

“I’m sorry, May. I didn’t mean to say that. I-it’s just...Mara seems like a whole different beast than when we took down NSR. None of them actively wanted to hurt us. And it’s...just kind of unsettling. Scary, even.”

“No, no, you’re fine, Zuke,” Mayday said quietly. She looked at Zuke. “Yeah, maybe she did get to me. I won’t deny that. But someone needs to stop her and Tatiana is too busy worrying about the power levels and the city. We’re the only ones who can stop her!”

Zuke still had a look of doubt on his face. He glanced down at the ground and spoke quietly. “I just don’t want any of us to get hurt. Or worse.”

The two of them stood in silence. The tension in the air was thick between them. Mayday had no idea how to go about it. She knew Zuke would follow her no matter what but she also wasn’t going to force him to do something he didn’t want. She reached out to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Zuke, I get where you’re coming from. But someone needs to stop her and I think we’re the ones who can. But, I understand if you don’t want to fight. You can stay back and I’ll go face her by myself.”

Zuke lifted his gloved hand to cut her off from speaking. He looked at her and gave a small smile.

“Someone has to keep you out of trouble,” the drummer murmured softly. “I might not like the idea of confronting her, but I’m not going to let you face her alone.”

Mayday returned a soft smile and squeezed his shoulder. “Thanks, buddy.”

The duo returned to standing in silence. They both took in the moment, knowing this might be the last time they’d get to feel like this for some time. Though they were opposites, they balanced each other out and they needed one another. Realizing that they couldn’t stand like this for much longer and risk someone stepping out of Tatiana’s office, Zuke took a step back and cleared his throat.

“Well, we should get moving soon,” Zuke said quietly as he turned to the elevator. “It’ll be nighttime soon and Mara is expecting us.”

The fiery passion returned to Mayday’s eyes as she clutched the neck of her guitar. “Way ahead of you, Zuke. Let’s show this ice queen what happens when you mess with us.”

With newfound resolve, Mayday and Zuke made their way to the elevator. As they neared the golden doors, the door to Tatiana’s office creaked open. The tiny pitter-patter of feet hurried towards them as a voice cried out to them.

“Mayday and Zuke! Wait!”

Mayday and Zuke turned around. To their surprise, Yinu was running towards them. The young pianist slid to a stop just as she neared them. She panted for breath, trying to collect herself before speaking.

“P-please,” she said between breaths. “Let me come with you.”

Both of them looked at the girl in shock. Aside from wanting to save her mother, why in the world would Yinu want to put herself in danger again after losing to Mara the first time?

“Listen, Yinu,” Mayday tried to reason gently. “We know you want to help your mom but it’s going to be super dangerous. You nearly froze over the last time you were against her. Plus we don’t really want to babysit so-“

“But I need to save mama!” Yinu pleaded as tears formed in her eyes. “Everyone else is too busy worrying about their own problems and I know they won’t go save her. I know you two are going there now! Please just bring me with!”

“Uh, we don’t even know what’s on the other side of the ice wall,” Zuke said quietly to Yinu. “We just don’t want to risk you getting hurt.”

“I already know how the ice lady fights,” Yinu responded. “I can tell you what to look out for.”

Mayday and Zuke looked to each other, knowing that Yinu had a point. They both looked back to Yinu.

“Alright, you can come with us,” Mayday said to the girl. “But if things go out of hand, you run and hide. Got it?”

Yinu nodded and followed after Mayday and Zuke as they made their way towards the elevator. Without much thought, the three made their way towards the Natura District.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really a real update. I’m just separating chapters because after my very helpful helper read it and complained about it being too long, I went and did it. So chapter 10 is now chapters 10 and 11.
> 
> But yeah, Mayday and Zuke fighting and Yinu joins the group. That was one thing that would’ve been nice to see was our favorite duo having a bit of tension with Zuke obvious being the more reasonable one, in this case. But that’s another thing for another day.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	11. Frozen Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends make it to Natura

A large full moon hung over the city as the sky grew darker. In order to conserve enough electricity to provide heat, most of the city’s skyscrapers were turned off. Streetlights still illuminated the streets but most of the districts remained derelict. As night grew closer, the wind started to pick up and brought the cold with it. While some people wore sweaters and hoodies, there was a certain crowd that were dressed as if warm weather was still there.

Mara’s message definitely reached her fans as a large gathering of people had begun to form around the Natura District. They clammored around the ice wall that separated Natura from the rest of the city, excited for what was to come. Many of the people were carrying signs or brandishing paraphernalia in support of Frostbite. They chanted loudly for Mara, fanatically calling out to the bassist to appear before them. Oddly enough, many of these people wore very light clothing as if the cold weather didn’t affect them. The sight made Mayday shiver not from the cold but from how disturbing to see how the people fell for Mara’s words.

“I see you have wanted to become one with the Pack,” a shirtless man said to the trio as he approached them. Zuke subconsciously covered Yinu’s eyes to protect her from the sight. 

“Dude, get some clothes on,” Mayday groaned as she gestured towards the man. “Why are half of you running around like that anyway?”

The man laughed. “We do not worry about the cold now that we’ve joined the Pack. Mara’s music has taught us to not fear the cold but to embrace it. You’re never truly once you’re amongst your true brother and sis-“

“Yeah, yeah, brothers and sisters we get it,” Mayday rolled her eyes as she pushed the shirtless man away. “In a few minutes, she’s going to be eating those words, now move aside.”

Mayday and Zuke pushed their way through the crowd to get to the ice wall. Yinu clung tightly to Zuke’s pant leg as to not be lost in the sea of Mara’s crazed fanatics. As they neared the ice, the crowd around them grew more intense, badgering the trio to give in and join the Pack. 

“Geez, were people this crazy when we were taking over the districts?” Mayday hissed in annoyance to Zuke.

“Yes, they were,” Yinu growled, overhearing the guitarist. “But they were more destructive.”

Mayday narrowed her eyes at Yinu. “No one asked you.” 

After pushing their way through the group, they made it to the ice wall. The imposing structure before them made of thick ice appeared unbreakable. Mayday placed her hands on the cold surface and quickly pulled them back, recoiling from the uncomfortable sensation. She looked at Zuke as she rubbed her hands together to warm them back up.

“Any ideas on how to get rid of this stupid wall?” She asked.

Zuke places his hand underneath his chin, assuming his thinking posture to get a better idea. “Maybe if you play something on your guitar, a portion of the wall might melt away.”

“Good idea!” Mayday shouted as she swung the guitar from around her back and set it into position to play.

As she was about to play her instrument, Mara’s fans swarmed around her, Zuke, and Yinu. They demanded her to not play so they wouldn’t damage the wall of ice that surrounded the area. Yinu, terrified of the growing hostility of the crowd, clung as hard as she could to Zuke’s leg. Zuke looked to Mayday.

“We might have to find a different alternative,” he muttered to her.

“How about we start bashing people away then!” Mayday roared as she swung her guitar at people to get back. She was quickly stopped by Zuke, however, as he wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her back.

“And risk turning this crowd into a riot? Then Tatiana will really have our heads!”

“Alright, alright! Then let’s get away from the crowd.”

Zuke quickly picked up Yinu and held her into the air with his arms outstretched overhead. The pianist demanded to be put down all the while Mayday and Zuke pushed out of the group. Once they made their way out of the crowd, Zuke set Yinu back on the ground. Mayday scanned around the area for a new point of entry. She groaned loudly as she twitched in anger.

“If her stupid fans weren’t here, I could’ve easily melted that stupid wall in seconds!”

Zuke let out a defeated sigh. “I know what you mean but there has to be another way in.”

As the duo continued to discuss alternative ways around the wall, Yinu noticed something moving around the crowd. It was one of Mara’s beasts, the one with the blue right eye. It walked slowly around and through the crowd, unnoticed despite its impressive size. Though still several meters away, he noticed Yinu, locking eyes with the girl. His tail curled up as it started to wag back and forth. 

“Mayday, Zuke!” Yinu said as she began tugging on Zuke’s pant leg once again to get his attention. “There’s one of-“

“We could always call Ellie,” Mayday suggested, completely ignoring Yinu. “Then we can drop in like whoooosh.”

“One of Mara’s dogs is-“ Yinu tried raising her voice more to get their attention.

“That’s not a bad idea,” Zuke said to Mayday, still ignoring Yinu. “But what if she doesn’t pick up the phone?”

“Pfft, she’s not doing anything right now anyway-“

“Mayday and Zuke!” Yinu bellowed, which finally got their attention. She glared at both of them as she pointed over at Mara’s pet, who was still happily wagging its tail. 

“Holy crap!” Mayday cried as she jumped back in surprise. “Why didn’t you just say so earlier!?”

Yinu continued to glare at her as she went over and kicked the guitarist in the right shin. Mayday yelped in pain as she held her injured shin close to her.

“Didn’t your mom ever teach you it’s not nice to kick people?” Mayday whimpered. After a few moments, she placed her right leg back on the group and looked at the wolfdog. “What do you think he wants?”

The beast rose to his paws and started trotting away from the gathering. He glanced back at the trio and gave a quick bark. Confused, Mayday looked at Zuke.

“Any idea what we should do?” Mayday asked.

“I think he wants us to follow him,” Zuke said. “He keeps looking at us like he wants to show us something.”

“Alright, then let’s follow him!” Mayday announced as the three began to follow the beast.

The wolfdog led them not too far from where the crowd had assembled. He followed closely along the wall, glancing back every so often to ensure they were still following. After about a minute of walking, they made it to a tunnel that went under the ice wall. The tunnel was composed of snow and was large enough for someone to crawl through it with no trouble. The duo looked at the tunnel and then back at each other.

“Talk about convenience,” Zuke muttered. He looked at the wolfdog, who was still wagging his tail happily. “Uh, thank you. I think?”

The wolfdog let out a small happy “awoo” sound. He went over to the tunnel and lowered his body to the ground before crawling through the tunnel. His fluffy body and tail vanished from view as he crawled away. Once the noise of nails scratching at the snow faded away, it was safe to guess that he made it across to the other side.

Mayday, Zuke, and Yinu looked at the tunnel. A cold breeze blew, creating a small humming noise that came from the opening.

“So who wants to go first?” Zuke asked, breaking the silence.

They continued to stare at the snow tunnel. The wind continued to flow and the humming from the tunnel grew louder. Yinu listened closely and silently for several moments. Then her eyes widened.

“Mama?” Yinu called out. Mayday and Zuke looked at the young pianist in confusion.

“What?” Mayday asked, one eyebrow raised in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“I can hear mama,” Yinu whispered, almost in a trancelike state. “She’s playing music and calling for me.”

Mayday and Zuke looked at each other in bewilderment. Mayday looked back at Yinu and spoke, trying to reason with the girl.

“Yinu! There’s no music playing! No one is here aside from us!”

“Mama!” Yinu shouted at the tunnel, ignoring Mayday. The young girl ran towards the tunnel and began to crawl through it. “Mama, I’m coming!”

“No, Yinu wait!” Zuke shouted for her, reaching out to try to grab her but Yinu was already gone.

“Dammit, I knew it was a mistake to bring her!” Mayday yelled in a frustrated tone. She crouched at the snow tunnel. “C’mon, Zuke we need to go after her!”

Mayday heard Zuke’s affirmation as she went through the tunnel after Yinu. Fortunately for her the tunnel was big enough to easily crawl through, even with the guitar on her back. The chill of the ice and snow on her hands and knees were irrelevant as Mayday felt more and more fired up as she got closer to the end. After about ten seconds of crawling she made it to the other side. From the tunnel hole, she gazed out at what had become of the once lush Natura District.

“Whoa, Zuke,” Mayday muttered, awestruck at the sight. “You need to see this.”

The ground was covered in snow, hiding the golden walkways and grass that was commonly associated with the district. The lights that lined the walkways no longer casted a warm light, with it being replaced with cold blue lights. The glorious fountains that spewed water and the waterfalls that had decorated the area were completely frozen over, creating magnificent pillars of ice. The proud tall trees of the district wore a sheet of thick ice. Their leaves remained but were also frozen. In the iced branches of the trees large speakers were hanging, giving the tree a cold and artificial feeling. And Yinu was nowhere in sight.

“Uh, May?” Zuke called out from inside the tunnel. “Can you please move?”

Mayday muttered a quick apology and moved out of the tunnel so Zuke could crawl out. The drummer made his way out of the hole and stared at the snow ridden area. His eyes widened in shock as he looked around.

“This is insane,” Zuke said as he exhaled, his breath creating a visible cloud. “I hope this won’t damage the area long term.”

“I promise it won’t, Zuke,” a chilling, familiar voice made both Mayday and Zuke jump. 

Standing before them at the large frozen fountain was Mara. Her arms were folded over her chest as she stared at the duo with the same unemotional expression she normally wore. Wearing only a black crop top that exposed her stomach and tight black pants that were cut out around the hip area, she was extremely unphased by the cold weather. She let out a half hearted chuckle as she flipped her long white hair.

“I was expecting more guests to arrive but that doesn’t matter,” Mara spoke coldly. “You were the two I wanted to see the most out of everyone.”

“Cut the crap, Mara!” Mayday snapped. “Where’s Yinu!? What did you do to her?”

Mara let out a dramatic sigh. “Oh Mayday...so quick to jump to conclusions without thinking beforehand. The little flower is right here.”

Mara moved to the side and revealed Yinu sitting on the side of the frozen fountain. The young girl’s eyes were closed peacefully as if she was taking a rest. Mayday and Zuke lurched forward, staring at the bassist with fury.

“Let her go, Mara!” Zuke demanded.

“You both look at me like I’m some sort of big bad wolf,” Mara spoke calmly as she placed her hands on the sleeping girl’s shoulder. “I don’t intend to hurt her. Soon, she’ll be back with her mother. The thing she’s been desiring all along. Would you want to deny her that?”

“What I want to do is punch you in the face!” Mayday shouted back. “Let’s fight, here and now!”

“Like a fire, you always just want to destroy,” Mara growled. “But why fight here when we can settle this on the stage?”

The wind began to pick up and grow more harsh. The snow on the ground whipped around Mayday and Zuke as it went towards Mara. Like a tornado of snow, it enveloped the bassist and Yinu.

“I’ll wait for you both on the stage,” Mara called out, her voice forming around them like the cold wind. “Try not to lose yourselves on the way there.”

As her words faded, so did the wind. The snow fell to the ground and Mara and Yinu were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a real update, just separated the chapters after realizing it was a bit too long.
> 
> But here we see Mara’s fans. Kind of like when B2J’s fans started tearing up the place, I wanted her fans to kind of have that same mindset but in more of a mindless fanatic way. Welcome to the cult of Frostbite, I guess? 
> 
> Much like how the area changes in the game when the districts are under Mayday and Zuke’s control, Mara did the same. Playing into her ice and bass themes, I wanted to transform into Natura as more of a reflection on her current state of mind: cold (snow/ice), mechanical (speakers everywhere), and lonely (no signs of life anywhere). Why she like this? More will be revealed later.
> 
> Either way, thank you for reading and see you at the next update!


	12. Labyrinth of Lies pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeds of doubt are being sewn.

“Dammit! She was right in front of us! I'm sick and tired of her running away!”

Mayday was furious. Mara was right in front of them and all they could do stand there. And now she had Yinu. Out of frustration, the guitarist kicked at the snow on the ground. After a moment of venting her anger, she took a quick calming breath. She looked over at Zuke, whose face was twisted with concern.

“We need to get to the stage as fast as we can,” Mayday said to him. 

Zuke gave a single nod of his head. The duo ran past the massive fountain to approach the gates that lead to the walkway to the stage. The piano and summer woods themed mural that lined the walls of the gates were replaced with images of a bleak frozen forest. The full moon floated over the domed stadium in the distance, casting its light and illuminating the area. Like the other lanterns in the district, the warm lights were replaced with cool lighting that casted a blue hue on the snow. As they neared the frost covered gates, they noticed the lock was broken and the door was open, creating an annoying creaking noise as it moved in the wind. Despite the lonely feeling the area gave, one could not deny the beauty of the snow and ice sparkling in the moonlight.

“I might not like her and I’m not digging the cold,” Mayday grumbled as she pushed at the creaking gate, opening it further. “But I guess the snow is kind of pretty. Only kind of…”

“As far as I know, it's never snowed in Vinyl City before,” Zuke mused as they passed through the gates. “You only hear about it in books or see it on film. Under different circumstances, I’d probably enjoy it.”

Mayday snorted. “Of course you would. After all, you are the chillest music dude in Vinyl City.”

Zuke laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I might’ve been usurped from that title.”

“Don’t worry, Zuke. Once we beat her, you can gain your rightful title back.”

They continued past the gates and towards the theater that once belonged to Yinu. Mayday and Zuke wanted to feel a little nostalgia as they made their way towards the stage, but the feeling could not emerge. The lush, beautiful gardens and ponds were frozen over and the large speakers made the district less inviting. At least this time they were not being attacked by NSR security bots and did not have to disable any security systems. 

In the distance, the sound of a wolf’s howl mingled with the stinging whistle that came from the wind. As the howling subsided, the silence returned. 

“You’d think with all the speakers everywhere, there’d be some music playing,” Mayday complained as she looked at the frozen trees. “It’s so creepy how quiet it is.”

Zuke hummed in agreement. “The place just feels so...dead.”

“Won’t matter soon. Once we’re done with her, we’ll-AHH!”

Mayday stepped on a patch of ice and slipped forward, falling onto her belly and her face landing into a pile of soft snow. She quickly got back to her feet and roared in anger.

“I don’t care how pretty it is! I’ll be so happy when I never see this stuff again!”

The sound of snow crunching alerted Mayday and Zuke. At first, noise was distant but had grown louder and quicker. The duo quickly grabbed their instruments, ready to strike whatever threat was coming for them. The low lighting of the area made tracking a target difficult so they had no idea what to expect. The pale blue and white coat of the wolfdog that led them to the snow tunnel glimmered in the moonlight as it came near. He slowed his gait to a trot as he neared them. Not knowing why the beast was there, Mayday and Zuke refused to let their guard down.

“Why does she keep sending her dog to us?” Mayday whispered to Zuke, hiding her mouth so the beast couldn’t read her lips. “Do you think it’s a spy?”

“I don’t think dogs have the capacity to spy on people, May,” Zuke answered quietly.

The beast with the right blue eye stopped in front of the duo and went into a sitting position. They couldn’t help but marvel at the size of the animal, with his shoulders coming up to Zuke’s hip. While dogs were common pets in the city, there were not many at this size. His mouth was parted and tongue stuck out as he panted, mimicking a smile and trying to appear friendly. His bushy tail wagged back and forth on the ground, kicking up the snow. 

“He’s the enemy, but he looks so fluffy and soft,” Mayday said as she narrowed her eyes. “And warm.”

The wolfdog let out a small whimper and lowered his body to the ground, rolling onto his back to expose his belly.

“What’s he doing? He's not going to eat me, right?” Mayday asked as she pointed at him.

“Uh, I don’t really know canine body language well,” Zuke answered. “But, if I remember correctly, an exposed belly is a friendly gesture.”

Without warning, Mayday ran up to the wolfdog and fell to her knees. Impulsively, she placed her hands on the beast's belly and rubbed at it. She looked back at Zuke, her magenta eyes wide and her mouth quivering.

“How can the enemy have such a soft belly?” Mayday whined. “It’s not fair!”

“May, are you sure you should be petting him?” Zuke asked, eying the wolfdog cautiously. “I mean, he still belongs to Mara.”

Mayday ignored Zuke’s warning and continued to rub the beast’s belly, talking to him in a high-pitched voice. The wolfdog enjoyed the attention and lulled his head down. As he moved his head, the thick fur around his neck parted and revealed a massive collar. Zuke took notice and crouched down to look closely at it. The massive collar was wired with subwoofers and had a jack output. A circular metal name tag with the word “Bari” engraved into it jingled as the collar moved. 

“The tech on this collar is impressive,” Zuke said in awe as his fingers graced the speakers on the collar. “Some of the best subwoofers available at the moment. I wonder if she built this herself.”

After getting enough of Mayday’s attention, Bari rose to his paws. Once standing he shook his entire body, shaking the snow off of his fur. He watched as Mayday and Zuke stood back up and took a step back. 

“Ok, maybe he isn’t so bad after all,” Mayday said with a shrug. She pointed at Bari and narrowed her eyes. “I still don’t trust you though.”

Bari stared at her finger for a moment before giving it a quick lick of his tongue. Mayday recoiled at the slimy sensation and withdrew her hand. Her and Zuke watched as Mara’s pet turned around and started walking away from them. After a few paces, he looked back at the duo and made a small grumble.

“I think he wants us to follow him again,” Zuke quietly mentioned to Mayday.

Mayday let out a breath. “Fine. At least it looks like he’s leading the way to the stage.”

Mayday and Zuke began to follow Bari down the snow covered path towards the dome. The wolfdog kept pace at a steady trot, carefully making sure not to be too far ahead from the duo. While he seemed friendly, both Mayday and Zuke were still on edge. After all, this was one of Mara’s pets and they still had no idea what she had planned for them. Plus, it was odd that nothing had happened to them as they were getting closer to where the bassist was waiting.

With Bari guiding them, the duo had made it about halfway to the stage. The temperature was beginning to feel colder as they continued onward and the snow was beginning to get deeper. Zuke looked over at Mayday, curious as to whether or not the cold was beginning to affect her.

“Hey May?” Zuke said to her. The guitarist looked at her bandmate, acknowledging that he got her attention. “You’re not getting too cold are you? I-I mean...you’re not exactly dressed for this kind of weather.”

Mayday shook her head and grinned at him. “I told you before. I’m too pumped up to feel the cold now. Before we know it we’ll be melting down this place in-“

SNAP

The noise interrupted Mayday before she could finish speaking. The ground shook as tall columns of ice erupted forth from it. Mayday fell onto her back from the force and her arms instinctively covered her face to protect herself. Moments felt like minutes but soon the trembles stopped. The urgent barking noise that came from Bari was what got her attention. She lowered her arms from her face and took a deep breath, quickly examining herself to make sure she wasn’t injured.

“Man, that was wild,” she mumbled to herself as she brushed some snow off her outfit. “You ok, Zuke?”

There was no answer. Mayday’s eyes quickly widened as panic took over. She looked around the area around her.

There was now a walkway that was lined by thick ice walls. No exit was available as the ice had surrounded her from behind. Bari was directly in front of her and he wagged his tail when she quickly glanced at him. However, Zuke was nowhere in sight. 

Mayday quickly got to her feet and cupped her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice.

“Zuke!?” She shouted, her voice heavy with worry. “Where are you!?”

A muffled voice came from the other side of the wall. Mayday quickly ran towards it and placed her hands on the ice.

“Zuke!? Are you there? Are you ok?”

“May?” Zuke’s voice sounded distant even though he was just on the other side of the wall. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m ok, Zuke.” Mayday quickly removed her guitar from her back and raised it over her head. “I’m going to break down this wall!”

“No, May! We don’t know how thick this wall is and we can’t break your guitar before we fight Mara. Let’s just find another way around this.”

Mayday knew Zuke was right and hated it. There was no judging what was to happen now and she couldn’t risk damaging her instrument. She lowered her guitar in defeat and felt her shoulders slump forward. She pressed her forehead against the ice wall.

“Ok, I’ll find a way out. I’ll see you on the other side when we get out. Don’t get yourself hurt!”

“I should be saying that to you. See you on the other side.”

Mayday let her forehead rest on the wall for a moment to prepare herself for what was to come. She was apprehensive but ready for whatever Mara was going to throw at her. When she was ready, she turned to Bari and stared at the beast.

“Looks like it’s just you and me now,” she said in a tight voice to the wolfdog. “I’m sure you probably know the way out.”

Without missing a beat, Bari turned from Mayday and began to walk down the walkway. The guitarist followed the beast closely as he wandered through the halls. The winding halls and corridors shifted the area to an icy maze. Mayday couldn’t help but feel thankful for having a guide to help her clear this quickly. However, she did find it a little unfair of having this advantage and worried for Zuke. The drummer was smart, she knew that, but being alone in an icy labyrinth was something else. She looked at Bari.

“Look, I appreciate the help,” Mayday said to the wolfdog. “When you’re done getting me out of here, can you go to Zuke and help lead him out?”

“I think you should be more concerned about what’s happening to yourself currently than asking my pet to do a favor for you.”

Mara’s voice immediately made Mayday’s blood boil. She prepared her guitar and got it ready in fighting position. She glared as she scanned her surroundings for the bassist. But she was not there.

“Mara!” Mayday snarled. “Stop being a coward and come and face me!”

“Mayday, once again you keep misinterpreting my actions,” Mara chided. “I do not want to fight you. I never really wanted to fight with you. I only wanted to have a talk with you and Zuke.”

Mayday’s eyes widened at the sudden realization. “Where is Zuke? I swear, if you do anything-”

“Your precious bandmate is fine. I sent my other pet to accompany him out of the labyrinth. But, I wonder, will the two of you really see each other in the same light once you’re out.”

Mayday stopped walking forward, feeling herself get cold suddenly. Bari also stopped, turned, and looked at the guitarist.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mayday asked through gritted teeth.

“The underground was a very small scene,” Mara began, her voice calm. “My former band had been around for some time, we would see many newcomers rise. We had to play in the shadows while other genres got to stand out in the light. Many new bands couldn’t handle the lack of attention and disbanded.”

“I don’t need a history lesson from you. I know what it was like playing in the underground.”

“I remember when you and Zuke first made your debut,” Mara continued. Mayday felt her heart stop for a moment and her eyes widen. “I’ve been watching you both for a very long time. From your growth in the underground, your Lights Up audition, your rise to power during the revolution, and the subsequent near-destruction of the city.”

Mayday let out curt laugh. “Kind of creepy that you’ve been following us for some time. If I needed someone to write a book about me and Zuke, you’d be the last person I ask.”

Mara responded with a chilling laugh that made the hair on Mayday’s arms stand on end.

“Oh, Mayday...it’s not hard to follow you when you don’t cover your tracks.”

As Mara continued to talk, Mayday did not notice that Bari had begun to circle around her. The normally friendly canine was walking slowly and was watching Mayday like a predator stalking its prey.

“Your revolution was done in the name of those oppressed under NSR’s rule. It was done to help end the blackouts that were happening in the city. It was a just cause, one I would’ve supported fully. However, instead of bringing people together, it only drove people apart. Bunk Bed Junction versus NSR. Rock versus EDM. Person versus person. Did it ever occur to you once in approaching the problem in a more subtle way?”

“There was no way they would’ve listened in the beginning!” Mayday argued. “We had to take action for them to notice that what they were doing was wrong!”

“But the only time you even began to see the error of your way was when the city was on its knees.”

“Look, I know what we did was wrong. Do you think I don’t regret what we almost did!?”

“During the time did you ever once consider your bandmate’s thoughts or feelings?”

Mara’s sudden accusation was like an arrow through the heart. Of course Zuke fully supported her and the revolution! He may have had some reservations at first but he said had her back no matter what. Or was he just following her out of obligation. As Mayday remained silent, Mara continued to speak.

“Mayday, you’re so caught up in your own energy you often forget the input of those closest to you. You and Zuke are opposites yet that brings you closer together. But we both know that Zuke could leave you at any time. You weren’t his first bandmate and there is always the possibility of you not being his last. You can try to bury the thought all you want but it will always remain.”

Mayday stared vacantly at the ground, trying to block out Mara’s words. The guitarist could never see her life without her best friend. But Zuke was an enigma and what if he was hiding his emotions from her all along? In her despair, Mayday hadn’t even noticed that Bari was sitting directly in front of her and as doubt continued to wash over her, she fell to her knees.

“It doesn’t have to be this way though,” Mara continued, her voice becoming more gentle. “I do not wish to drive more people apart. I want us all to come together, so no one has to fear being cast out or to face the cold alone. You can join me and together we can convince Zuke to follow us into the pack.”

Suddenly, Mayday felt a cold feeling around her shoulders as she was embraced from behind. The scent of spearmint lingered around her as Mara’s voice seemed close, like a whisper in her ears.

“Then you both can be together forever.”

The embrace faded and Mayday was alone again with Bari. The wolfdog looked at her with concern as the guitarist’s fists clenched at her skirt. Mayday blinked rapidly as tears began to well up in her eyes. She looked up at Bari as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This is going to be a two-parter and I hope to have the second part uploaded sometime this weekend. So stay tuned!
> 
> Now we get to talk a little more about Bari. Of the two subwoofers, Bari is definitely the more outgoing and friendly one. While loyal to his owner, he’s still likes to seek the attention of others. 
> 
> When I was creating Mara, I wanted her definitely have an ice theme and I wanted to have dogs. Originally, they were going to be just huskies because they love the cold. But if alligators can be pets and this is a game world, they became more wolf-like. There’s more tidbits behind their creation but I’ll reveal them later because doing so would actually spoil the climax.
> 
> But now Mara is beginning to spread doubt to our heroes. How will they handle it? We’ll be seeing Zuke’s side of things in the second part.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading! See you next update!


	13. Labyrinth of Lies pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now we get to see Zuke’s side

SNAP

The noise interrupted Mayday before she could finish speaking. The ground shook as tall columns of ice erupted forth from it. The trembling earth was unstable enough to send Zuke falling onto his side. He covered his arm over his head for protection as the tremors continued. After several moments, the shaking had subsided. Out of caution, Zuke remained on the snowy ground for a little longer. Silence had returned to the area and he assumed it was safe to move. He slowly moved his arm away from his face and opened his eyes. The view of the frozen forest was replaced with thick walls of glimmering ice.

Zuke slowly sat up and assessed his own body to make sure he was not injured. After quickly coming to the conclusion that he was fine, he began to observe his surroundings. The ice walls had surrounded him on three ends. In front of him was a straightaway that had a sharp right turn.

“Looks like Mara wasn’t going to make this easy after all…” Zuke grumbled to himself. “Well, May, we should get going.”

There was no response. The silence immediately alerted Zuke that something was off as he began to scan the area around him for Mayday. But his bandmate was nowhere in sight. Even Bari was not in sight. Zuke rose to his feet, his red eyes wide with terror.

“Zuke!? Where are you!?” A voice shouted from the other side of the ice wall. It sounded very close but the wall muffled the sound.

“May?” Zuke asked aloud, hoping it was her. “Please answer me if it’s you.”

“Zuke!? Are you there? Are you ok?”

That definitely was Mayday’s voice on the other side of the wall. Relief washed over Zuke knowing that she was there. He walked over to the ice wall and raised his voice so that she could hear him.

“May? I’m fine, don’t worry about me. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I’m ok, Zuke.” She paused for a moment and Zuke wasn’t sure what she was planning to do. “I’m going to break down this wall!”

Zuke knew it was a bad idea for her to try something risky before they faced Mara. They had to be prepared to take her on and shouldn’t waste their energy on trying to break down the wall. 

“No, May! We don’t know how thick this wall is and we can’t break your guitar before we fight Mara. Let’s just find another way around this.”

Zuke could feel her frustration as Mayday grew silent. He placed his hands on the ice wall and waited for her response.

“Ok, I’ll find a way out. I’ll see you on the other side when we get out. Don’t get yourself hurt!”

Zuke let out a small chuckle that he knew only he could hear as he pressed his forehead to the ice. 

“I should be saying that to you. See you on the other side.”

Zuke lingered against the ice wall for a short amount of time. They would be fine separated for a short amount of time, he knew that. From what he gathered from Mara so-far, the bassist did not seem underhanded enough to attack them like this. She was a lover of theatrics but also did not seem to want to fight, unless necessary. Besides, Zuke believed in Mayday and knew that she was strong enough to face whatever was in front of her. He took a step away from the wall and looked down the straightaway.

“This shouldn’t be too confusing,” Zuke said to himself. “I’ll find my way out of here before I know it.”

Without a moment to lose, Zuke began to make his way through the labyrinth. He kept his pace as a brisk walk, not wanting to risk falling if the ground suddenly became slick from the ice. He followed the turning corridors and hallways diligently, trying to take note of any outstanding structures as to not retrace his steps. But even after about five minutes of walking through the icy halls of the labyrinth, his senses began to strain to focus.

“I hope Mayday is having an easier time with this,” Zuke said quietly to himself.

As he continued forward, the sound of claws tapping on the ground caught Zuke’s attention. The noise sounded just like when Bari was walking and the pacing of the steps were in cadence of that of a canine or beast. Even though Bari was friendly enough, Zuke knew he could not take a chance and raised his drumsticks. As anticipated, a beast rounded the corner and was now facing Zuke.

It was the female wolfdog that belonged to Mara. While physically similar in appearance to Bari, this one blue eye was located on her left side. Unlike the other wolfdog as well, Zuke noted that she had a much more serious looking expression as she stared at him with her ears pointed back. Cautiously, Zuke took a step forward and she took a step back. The drummer half smirked and spoke to the beast.

“You’re definitely not as friendly as the other one,” Zuke said quietly to the wolfdog. “But I won’t hurt you so long as you don’t hurt me.”

The female wolfdog’s ears pricked forward to Zuke’s words. Fortunately for him, projecting a calm demeanor had helped gain the beast’s trust slightly. Without much noise, she turned and began walking slowly away. Taking it as his cue to move, Zuke followed after her.

Following after the female wolfdog felt different than when Bari was in the lead. She was more meticulous and walked slower, but never once glanced back to see if Zuke was still following. One ear remained towards Zuke at all times while the other kept forward. The drummer stared at the beast and caught a glimpse of the same collar that Bari wore under the thick fur under her neck. He hated to admit it but he wished he was on better terms with the bassist so he could ask how she managed to rig it up. He also knew Mayday would lose it if he mentioned that. 

Zuke took a deep breath and stared at the ground as walked on. He wanted to think Mayday was alright but the nagging thought that was always in the back of his head was growing louder. Ever since Mara first made her appearance to them and attacked them the first time, Mayday hadn’t been acting the same. She was still put on her usual front of being impulsive and energetic, but he knew more than anyone that the bassist was getting to her. He worried about his bandmate more than anything and wished the labyrinth hadn’t separated them.

“Even in your silence, I can hear you thinking.”

Mara’s voice startled Zuke as he suddenly froze. He raised his drumsticks for battle and looked around for the bassist. But he was alone with the wolfdog, who was now sitting and facing him. 

“Your voice…” Zuke muttered. “It’s being projected through the dog’s collar.”

“Very perceptive, Zuke,” Mara answered with a pleased hum to her voice. “Not that that surprises me. I do want to apologize for Alto not being as friendly as Bari. However, I did not send her to just help you out of the labyrinth. I hoped we could have a little chat. One-on-one without your bandmate to interrupt.”

Zuke narrowed his eyes and clenched his drumsticks tightly in his grip. “So that’s why you went to the trouble of creating this labyrinth. Well, sorry. I’m not interested in talking here. We’ll be meeting on the stage soon enough and we can do it there.”

“But what if it prevents us from fighting? Why fight when we can settle our differences civilly?”

“You challenged Yinu, took over a District, and encased it in ice and snow. How is that acting civil?” Zuke could feel himself starting to lose his cool. However, Mara still had a chilling edge to her voice, almost as if to calm him down.

“I did not want to fight. I tried reasoning with all parties before I attacked. I only acted out in defense like a cornered animal would. Would you not do the same if you were in my position?”

Zuke fell silent after Mara finished speaking. He had no argument against that and she was right, she did only lash out when there was no other option. Without a response to go off of, Mara continued to speak.

“Zuke, you spent much of your life in the shadows. The shadow of your brother. The shadow of that Eve woman. And now you stand in the shadow of Mayday.”

“I don’t stand in Mayday’s shadow,” Zuke growled. “We’re partners, best friends. We stand on equal footing!”

“Then why does she not take into account your feelings?”

Zuke’s mouth and heart dropped a little at Mara’s harsh words. “T-that’s not true. May does-“

“You had reservations going against NSR. You had reservations following the advice of that crazed fan. You even had reservations challenging me. You follow Mayday unquestioningly, like a loyal dog and what has that brought you? Almost certain death.”

Zuke shook his head as Mara spoke. It’s true, he was very compliant with Mayday but she would do the same for him if he ever was in trouble. She brought him out of one of the darkest points of his life. She would never do anything that intentionally would hurt him, not like how Nadia did. 

“Stop it, Mara!” Zuke shouted as he stared at Alto, guessing that’s how Mara was listening to him. “I know the game you’re trying to play. You’re trying to split us apart by bringing up our own insecurities. That’s not going to work. Not with me. And definitely not with Mayday.”

“Oh Zuke…” Mara pretended to sound hurt by his words. “That wounds me. But I understand you and I know your worst fears. You fear being alone.”

A chill went up Zuke’s spine at Mara’s words. He was at a loss for words and was unable to come up with a response after that low blow. Mara continued speaking.

“You keep a low profile and try to stay out of view no matter what. Is it out of fear that if you were to truly speak your mind and have a conflicting idea, Mayday will leave you behind? Leave you all alone again?”

“T-that’s...that-that would never happen. Mayday...she-“

Zuke fell to his knees as he stumbled to find his words. His drumsticks fell to the ground with a clatter as rolled towards Alto’s paws. Suddenly, the scent of spearmint entered the air and lingered around him. He quietly sat still as Mara spoke in a surprisingly gentle tone.

“Zuke...you and I are more alike than you want to admit. As a bassist I know what it’s like to be in the shadows. Bass and drums, we both provide rhythm, the underlying part that makes a song actually work. Without us, a guitar is nothing.”

Zuke felt a cold finger on his chin as his face was forced to stare up. Before him now was a ghostlike form of Mara. Her long white hair fluttered like a soft curtain in the breeze. Her blue gaze was soft as she stared down at him. Tears welled in his eyes as he was forced to gaze up at the bassist.

“Join me, Zuke. Become one with the pack and we can convince Mayday to never leave your side. You will never have to fear the thought of being alone, ever again.”

Zuke felt his head drop as the finger holding up his chin vanished. Mara was gone and all that remained was him, Alto, and doubt that felt heavier than anything he’d ever felt before.

——————————-  
The exit of the labyrinth was closer than both Mayday and Zuke had anticipated as both left it simultaneously. Bari and Alto were the first to exit. The male wolfdog spotted Alto and ran over to her, nearly knocking her over in the process. She snarled at Bari in annoyance but he ignored her threat as he jumped around her happily, licking her face in greeting. Mayday and Zuke slowly after them. 

Zuke glanced over at Mayday and she looked over to him. He expected Mayday to run over and throw her arms around him in excitement. Mayday expected Zuke to give a reassuring smile and fret over her. But instead, none of that happened. They both slowly walked up to each other, not wanting to make eye contact with each other.

“Hey,” Mayday said, forcing herself to sound cheerful and like her usual self. “Looks like you made it ok.”

“Yeah…” Zuke responded in a quiet tone. “You did too.”

They both had a feeling that Mara said something to one another but they didn’t have the heart to bring up what was spoken. They did not want to relive the pain. They did not know how to approach this conversation. 

The sound of Alto and Bari trotting away brought them back to reality. Mayday and Zuke looked towards their direction and noticed they were directly in front of the entrance to the domed arena. The ice had encased the building, giving it the appearance of a massive snow globe. The two beasts entered through the large doors that were left ajar.

“Looks like we’re here,” Zuke muttered in a solemn tone. “You ready to face her?”

Mayday’s eyebrows lowered as her face twisted in anger. “Let’s bring her down.”

The duo made their way towards the massive doors. Overcome with a wave of conflicting emotions, they quietly entered the arena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. That one was a doozy to write. Zuke’s side was definitely a bit easier to write but definitely took a bit more of an emotional toll to write. He can see what Mara is trying to do but still ends up playing into her mind games. Hopefully it won’t effect the battle too much.
> 
> I don’t really have much else to add to this but now we’re getting ready for the battle! The chapter updates might slow down for the time being just so I can adequately research what I want to do, but they’ll still be coming!
> 
> Once again, thank you all so much for reading and for commenting. See you next update!


	14. Prelude

Mayday and Zuke had no idea what to expect stepping into the domed stage. The inside of the auditorium felt like stepping into a freezer as a blast of cold air shot towards them. The feeling of return to Yinu’s stage would’ve brought some nostalgia back if it wasn’t in the state it was in. The duo made their way up the stairs and to the seats of the audience.

The appearance of the auditorium had not changed much since the last time Mayday and Zuke were here. The familiar silence they had grown accustomed to was still there. A blanket of snow still covered the seats of the audience and the waterfalls that lined the walls remained as frozen pillars. Instead of the warm golden lighting, the lighting on the stage had shifted to light blue in color and made the area much darker in the seats. And at that moment the stage appeared empty. The light of the full moon shone through the opening in the auditorium’s ceiling, providing some extra lighting so Mayday and Zuke could at least navigate towards the stage.

“It feels a lot colder here than last time,” Zuke said with a shiver.

“Then let’s end this quickly,” Mayday responded in a cold tone, something Zuke did not expect.

After leaving the labyrinth, the silence and tension between the two was evident. Mara has gotten to them with her words and tried to psyche them out before they would approach her. They still didn’t know what the bassist’s motives were as to why she was doing this. But Zuke knew they had to talk before confronting her.

Zuke reached out and placed a hand on Mayday’s shoulder, forcing her to stare at him. As he stared at her, her face tried to portray her regular intense emotion but her eyes told another story. They looked strained and puffy, as if she was crying. 

“Before we get to Mara,” Zuke began in a quiet, calm voice. “I think we should talk. Mara...said some stuff to me and it’s got me-“

Mayday’s eyes narrowed at her bandmate as she withdrew from his hand. Her voice was low and she muttered harshly. “Don’t tell me that witch got to you…”

“N-no! It’s not like that!” Zuke grew quiet as he took a breath before continuing to speak. “She did speak to me in the labyrinth. Said some really harsh things…but I just think we should really talk about things before we face her.”

“Look, Zuke. I understand you want to talk but I’m not in the mood. All I want to do is get on that stage, punch that smug, egotistical snow witch in the face, and move on.”

“But if we don’t keep a level head about this then we’ll just be falling into her trap!”

“I am keeping a level head! And all I’m saying is let’s just finish her off as fast as we can.”

Zuke cursed under his breath. “Why aren’t you listening to reason, May!? All I want to do is have a simple conversation before we throw ourselves into trouble!”

Mayday threw her arms in the air and shouted frustration. “If you don’t want to help, then fine! Get out of here and let me do it!”

Zuke stared at his friend with wide eyes, wounded by her words. However, instead of getting sad, he grew irritated. “You know what? Maybe Mara was right. Maybe you don’t actually care about how I feel.”

Zuke turned his back to Mayday and started to make his way towards the exit. After hearing his words and watching him turn away, her eyes widened in realization. “Zuke, wait! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to-“

“My, my…as much as I want to watch you two argue, I’m going to have to have put that to a stop.”

Mara’s chilling voice stopped both of them in their tracks. The duo turned to the stage as the pale blue lights turned on, illuminating it in its entirety. Alto sat towards the edge of the stage, carefully watching the duo. Bari was close to her, playfully pawing at a large stick that was on the stage. To the back of the stage was Mara. The bassist was sitting on her massive throne made of ice. Her legs were spread far apart and her head rested on her clenched right fist, as she stared down at Mayday and Zuke. Her lips curled in disgust as she spoke.

“If you both really want to fight each other, I’d prefer you do it outside and not in my den,” Mara growled. 

“Mara!” Mayday shouted as she pulled her guitar off her back, priming it in playing position. “This ends now! Get off your throne and face us!”

“Funny. For a moment, you both looked like you were about to go for each other’s throats like two angry dogs. What’s wrong? Did my words really get to you?”

Mayday have a half hearted laugh. “As if! All you do is speak lies.”

Mara sat up and rose to her feet. She let out a cold laugh. “Once again, Mayday, you misunderstand me. I only point out what I see. They might seem like lies to you but that’s because you refuse to see the truth. You refuse to take responsibility for your actions. You refuse to take responsibility for what almost came from your revolution. And now, even as your bandmate is about to walk away from it all, you refuse to see the truth.”

Mayday took a moment and looked back at Zuke. His arms were folded in front of his chest as he refused to look at her, his face contorted in a pained expression. She felt her heart plunge as she looked at her bandmate. In the silence, Mara continued to speak.

“After Inferno fell apart, I learned how painful it was to lose your band. It was never my intent to pull you both apart. Only to see the fault in your actions. But it doesn’t have to be this way. I can help you both. Accept your errors and join my pack.”

Mayday ignored Mara’s words and stared at Zuke. She took a step towards him and reached for his shoulder, trying to get his attention.

“Zuke, I...I’m really sorry for not listening to you. And I’m sorry for telling you to leave. I shouldn’t have lost my chill with you and it was really, really stupid of me. I can understand if you don’t want to stay here and-“

Zuke brought his hand up to cut her off from speaking. Though pain was still in his eyes, at the very least now he was staring at her now. “Mayday, you don’t have to say more. We’re a team and we’ll see this through to the end. We’ll just...talk about this later. Right now let’s knock this ice queen off her throne.”

Mayday blinked her eyes and gave a small smile. “Yeah, I guess we have a lot to talk about once we’re done here.” She turned her attention back to Mara, her magenta eyes narrowing on the bassist.

“You always talk about how you want to bring people together, but here you are doing the exact opposite. Just like what you did to Yinu and her mom. Now where are you hiding them!?”

Mara let out a sigh and snapped her fingers. A stage light shone on a figure off stage. A gargantuan ice sculpture of Yinu’s mother, her eyes fixed in fear and her arms outstretched as if she was trying to defend herself sparkled under the light. Mayday and Zuke gasped in shock as they stared at the sight before them, their shock quickly turning to anger. Yinu, or anything in her likeness, was still nowhere in sight.

“I made an offer to both of you,” Mara spoke calmly as stretched out her right hand. The neck of her bass guitar suddenly materialized in her hand as she started to follow the steps down from her throne. “To refuse it, your fate will be the exact same as hers. Now, I ask you once again: will you become one with the pack?”

Mayday and Zuke looked at each other for reassurance. Zuke nodded at his bandmate as he pulled his drumsticks out. Mayday smirked and turned her attention to Mara. She pointed at the bassist.

“You know what you can do with your offer? You can go and shove it. You know where.”

Silence fell over the auditorium. After a few beats, Mara’s face went cold and unemotional to fuming in anger. As the bassist made it to the bottom of the steps, a deep chill fell upon the stage. Her long white hair whipped around her in the wind like an angry wraith. Ice formed the body of the bass as Mara held the instrument in playing position.

Alto and Bari ran to their master and stood on either side of her. Mara strummed a chord on her bass. She turned her back on Mayday and Zuke. As her hair fluttered in the wind, the duo caught a glimpse of a tattoo engraved into her blue skin between her shoulder blades. It was difficult to see at first but the image black-inked tribal style tattoo of a three-headed wolf could be made out, even from a distance. 

“My faithful friends,” she said to her “bandmates.” “Let's show them the true meaning of Frostbite!”

The two canines howled as their bodies became encased in a pillar of ice. After a moment, the ice shattered and now they took on the form that Mayday and Zuke first saw them as: the ice wolves with the speakers embedded into their shoulders and body. The beasts began to snarl viciously as they stared at the duo. 

The artificial sound of a drum machine playing an unsteady rhythm began to play as Mara turned her attention back to Mayday and Zuke. The duo readied their instruments in response, ready to strike down Mara and her beasts.

“I offered you a chance to mend your ways and admit your faults but you refuse to listen,” Mara proclaimed loudly. She brought her hands up on either side of her face and struck her pose. “Now I will show you the full fury of the cold. And you’ll freeze together...forever.”

**Bunk Bed Junction VS Frostbite**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annd here we go! The moment we’ve all been waiting for!
> 
> So next few chapters are fight chapter so it might take longer for me to churn them out. But don’t worry, Pancake will work her hardest.
> 
> As a treat, I’ll tease some of the music that’ll be the inspiration for Mara’s fight. As her style is coldwave, most of these songs feature heavy bass lines as well as well as the use of a synthetic drum. The style of coldwave is pretty minimalistic, which works for Mara and her band consisting of two beasts who more than likely can’t handle traditional instruments because no opposable thumbs.
> 
> Anyway, first song inspiration: “To the Edge” from FFXIV. While not a traditional coldwave song, it features a heavy, prominent bass line. At certain points of the song, the guitar tries to overpower the bass at times which I imagine Mayday trying to outplay Mara. As an added treat, the lyrics kind of fit Mara’s aspirations, which will be revealed more as the fight continues.
> 
> More song inspirations will be dropped with the upcoming chapters. I hope you all enjoy and will see you at the next update!


	15. Phase One - Shatter

The synthetic sound of a drumming machine pounded loudly, echoing throughout the auditorium. The moderate tempo set by the machine created a driving rhythm that was easy to follow. While listening to the beat set in place by the instrument, Zuke could not help but feel offended by the mechanical, emotionless feeling the music gave off.

“At the very least, she could’ve used a pre-recorded drumming sound,” Zuke grumbled as he continued to listen.

“It doesn’t matter now, let’s get our heads in the game and take her out!” Mayday shouted as her left hand grasped the neck of her guitar.

Without a moment to lose, Mayday and Zuke began to run down the aisle towards the stage. As they ran, Mara began to play on her bass. She plucked at the strings of the instrument, creating a bass line that integrated with the mechanical drumming. She repeated the line for several beats as the duo drew closer. As they made their way up the stairs and onto the stage, Mara stopped playing for a moment to quickly snap her fingers.

“Don’t get cold feet now,” she said softly as she went back to playing her bass.

The sounds of a synthesizer began to play, incorporating seamlessly with the music from the bass guitar and the drumming machine. Once Mayday and Zuke stepped onto the stage, the floor suddenly became slick as a sheet of ice covered the surface. The duo shouted in shock as they tried to gather their footing, only to slip further apart from each other. Mayday moved her legs quickly and was running in place while Zuke tumbled forward, placing his hands on the frozen surface. In an attempt to stop herself from falling over, Mayday used the pointed body of her guitar and stabbed it into the ground. She leaned into the instrument to stabilize herself.

“This is ridiculous!” Mayday shouted. “How can we get near her when we can’t even stand!?”

Zuke scanned the frozen stage for any clue as to how to gain an edge on Mara and her beasts. Aside from the massive ice throne towards the back of the stage and some piles of snow, the stage was mostly bare. However, the drummer noticed bits of scrap metal laying around, most likely the remnants of Mara constructing the speakers that littered throughout the district. Zuke looked to Mayday from his awkward position.

“There’s metal around the stage,” he informed her. “If we get close to it, I’m sure we can figure out something to help get rid of this ice.”

“That’s if you can get to it in one piece,” Mara responded quietly. She looked to Alto and Bari, giving a single nod to the two.

In beat with the drumming machine, the beast with the left blue eye, Alto, began to move towards them. Running effortlessly over the icy ground, the female canine’s teeth were bared in a snarl. Mayday and Zuke looked at the growling beast as she got uncomfortably close and yelled. The duo awkwardly ran on the slippery surface with Alto in pursuit. As they neared one of the piles of metal, the beast lunged at them on the downbeat of the synthetic drumming noise. Mayday and Zuke were understanding the rhythm to Mara’s drumming machine and managed to roll safely away as Alto leapt towards them. The beast snorted in frustration and rushed back to Mara.

The cold, robotic music of the synthesizer began to play louder. The accompaniment layered with the drumming machine and helped emphasize Mara’s bass playing, creating a hauntingly beautiful combination. After what felt like an eternity of slipping, Mayday and Zuke were finally within range to play their instruments near the scrap metal.

“I think I can rig something up to melt ice,” Zuke said as he looked at the metal. He turned his attention to Mayday as he held his drumsticks up. “Can you watch my back while I set it up?”

Mayday grinned as she looked at her partner. “You got it, buddy!”

Without another word, Zuke began to play. His drumming matched the beat of the synthetic drums but carried much more emotion, giving a more lively and powerful feeling. As her partner played, Mayday watched the area. Mara remained in her spot, continuing to play her bass. Alto had returned to her master and stood on the left side of the bassist. However, Bari was nowhere to be seen.

“Shatter them,” Mara said in an eerily calm voice.

From one of the snow piles near where they were standing, Bari jumped out on the downbeat of the drumming. The ice beast barked menacingly as he displayed his fangs, his focus on Zuke. The drummer continued to play as Mayday slid on the ice to be in position to counter the ice wolf. Mayday swung her guitar at Bari, her instrument making contact with his shoulder. The force of the blow made Bari yelp as he rolled to the side. After a moment to recover he returned to his paws, dashed towards the snow and buried himself into the pile.

“You’re going to pay for hurting him,” Mara growled in a threatening tone as her bass line grew more intense.

“I got it!” Zuke announced as he finished playing.

The scrap metal began to transform and take shape. It took the form of a simple rectangular metal box. An intense heat began to radiate from the box, immediately melting the icy floor of the stage. Within moments, the ice near the front of the stage had vanished. Though the ice remained near Mara, now the duo could at least move without the risk of slipping. After a short time,the rectangular heater grew cold and fell apart, returning to scrap metal.

“Awesome work, Zuke!” Mayday cheered. “Now let’s get her!”

With the ground now easier to tread on, Mayday and Zuke ran towards Mara. The duo held their instruments and were ready to strike the bassist. They were only a few strides away when, suddenly, there was a loud noise. Mara plucked the strings on her bass and reverb of her playing had sent them away from her. As the two regained their footing, Alto and Bari stood close to Mara. The subwoofers embedded into the beast’s shoulders pounded with her playing. She looked at Mayday and Zuke with arrogance in her eyes.

“So long as we’re together, you two have no chance to stop me from playing,” Mara proclaimed. 

Mayday grunted in frustration. “This makes no sense! Why can’t we get near!?”

Zuke focused his attention on Mara and her beasts. Though it was hard to see from where they were standing, Zuke could see something protruding from both Alto and Bari. A long cable was connected from both of their collars into Mara’s bass guitar. That must have been the reason why they could not attack the bassist at close range. Following the beat of the drumming machine, Alto began to move towards the duo again. This time, Bari followed the female wolf’s lead.

“We need to disconnect those two from Mara’s bass,” Zuke explained to Mayday. The guitarist stared at him in confusion, not noticing the cable connecting the beasts to the instrument. “They’re acting like mobile speakers for her. They stay connected, her bass will keep knocking us away from her.”

Mayday’s face lit up as she understood Zuke’s plan. “We take them out and then she’s open, got it!” 

As she was about to run towards Alto and Bari with her guitar raised, Zuke stopped her. “We need a plan! You figure out something with the scrap metal and I’ll distract them.”

Mayday raised a brow at Zuke’s suggestion. “I have no idea what you’re getting at but ok!”

Without another word, Mayday ran towards the nearest scrap metal pile. In order to keep the canines from going towards her, Zuke raised his drumsticks over his head. He tauntingly waved them in the air, garnering the attention of the two. They slid to a stop and stared at the sticks in the air.

“Uh...good doggies,” Zuke said in an uncertain voice. Suddenly he realized this probably was not the brightest plan. “Y-you want to play fetch or something?”

Mara scoffed. “Please…Alto and Bari are not your run-of-the-mill dogs. They’d never fall for-“

Before Mara could finish her sentence, the two ice beasts began to chase after Zuke, their attention on his drumsticks. Zuke yelled as they pursued him. Though annoyed by her bandmates sudden change in focus, Mara did not seem too fazed.

“No matter. Even if they’re distracted, you’re still at a disadvantage. Prepare to-“

“Nice try, Mara,” Mayday announced smugly. “I think it’s time for the pups to play ball!”

The guitarist had finished playing near a pile of scrap. The metal had transfixed itself into a snowman shape with a crazed happy face. It’s arms were fashioned much like a turret. The arms began to fire a torrent of snowballs to the beat of the drumming machine at the canines. Alto growled in annoyance, ducking her head low to avoid the snow. Bari happily chased after the balls of snow, snapping his jaws to try to catch them. Mara shouted, trying to get her pet’s attention but was also assaulted with an onslaught of snowballs. The bassist blocked the oncoming projectiles with her bass, deflecting them with ease.

As the beasts and Mara were distracted, Zuke took the opportunity to get closer to Alto and Bari. Using his drumsticks, he pulled the cable out of their collars. By doing so both the sounds of the drumming machine and the synthesizer stopped. The sound of Mara’s bass grew softer, as well. 

The metal snowman stopped firing and fell apart, crumbling back to a metal heap. Alto and Bari retreated, running back towards their master in a daze. The bassist was brushing the snow off of her, momentarily distracted as she turned her attention to her beasts.

Mayday and Zuke looked at each other and smirked. Taking the opportunity, they charged towards Mara. Once the bassist realized what was happening, it was two late. The duo was upon her and they were ready to strike. 

In sync with one another, Mayday and Zuke swung at Mara. Mara parried back, keeping her guard up as the two fought with her. Alto and Bari were still in a stupor and were unable to assist their master. Even at the disadvantage, Mara still managed to put up a fight. The three battled on. Despite the differences in genres, their music still managed to mesh beautifully. The driving sounds of the guitar and drums mingled with the coldwave stylings of the bass. However, even if they did blend nicely, someone was going to come out on top.

As the fatigue of having to face two people began to wear on her, Mara missed a beat. Seizing the opportunity, Mayday struck and her guitar made impact with Mara’s stomach. The bassist flew back, colliding into her ice throne. She stared at the ground, taking breaths to try to regain her composure. Finally out of their daze, Alto and Bari ran to Mara’s side and comforted the bassist.

Mayday and Zuke looked on at Mara defiantly. 

“Give up, Mara,” Mayday said to the bassist. “You’re going to lose this battle.”

Instead of conceding, Mara gave out a curt laugh. She rose to her feet and stared at the duo. For the first time, the expression on the bassist’s face was different. Instead of being composed and emotionless, she looked unhinged and full of rage. Mayday and Zuke both flinched at the sight.

Mara only had this expression for a moment before it vanished, returning to its usual neutral, cold state. Bari let out a soft whimper and the bassist placed a hand on his head to comfort him.

“When Inferno disbanded, the flame that was with me dwindled, leaving me colder than ever before,” Mara said in a low tone. After several moments of silence, she continued to speak. “Everyone in the underground believed we disbanded, but that’s far from the truth.”

“Disbanded?” Mayday echoed. “What are you talking about?”

Mara stared at Mayday and Zuke in contempt. As the silence lingered, an uncomfortable chill had fallen on the stage. The temperature began to drop even lower as Mara continued to speak.

“No...they did not disband. They left me behind. Do you know why they did that?”

Mayday and Zuke looked at each other, feeling a sense of discomfort as the bassist’s tone grew more dangerous. They gripped at their instruments, ready to defend themselves at a moment’s notice.

“They left me because they fell for your words and wanted stake in your pitiful attempt at a revolution. They wanted to join in the chaos, revel in what you both created and when I refused to join in? I was tossed to the side like a mangy stray. Inferno, the people who I have been with for years. The three I’ve grown to love like family. All vanished and crumbled like ash in the wind. And it’s all your fault.”

Mayday and Zuke were taken aback by Mara’s words. So much anger was in the bassist’s voice as she addressed them. The sudden coldwave that hit the city, what has happened to Yinu and the Natura District...all caused by the pain Mara felt from her band abandoning her. Pain that was redirected towards anger to Mayday and Zuke. 

“Look, it sucks that your band left you,” Mayday tried reasoning with Mara. “We had no idea what would happen when we started the revolution. But what you’re doing is wrong!”

“Yeah,” Zuke added. “We know now what we did is wrong but nothing can change the past.”

“Yet, in the end, you are still regarded as heroes,” Mara growled. “You nearly killed us all with your petty ideals and almost destroyed the city I’ve come to love. There were other ways you could have done things. But it doesn’t matter now.”

The lower half of Mara’s body became encased in ice that slowly grew upwards. The ice had also begun to grow around Alto and Bari, entrapping their bodies completely. The bassist continued to speak as she was enveloped in a frozen pillar.

“But all that will change once this ends. Once I strike you both down, all will be well. Soon we will all freeze together. And no one will fear being cold alone.”

After several moments, the ice around Mara shattered. The bassist’s blue skin and body was now covered in a layer of frost. A cold mist enveloped her body like a freezing halo. The ice encasing Alto and Bari also fell apart, revealing their new forms. Instead of being made of ice, the canines now took a wraith-like form with only their heads, chest and front legs being tangible. Only the blue eye on their face remained as the darker color eye was frosted over with ice.

The beasts let out a howl as the drum machine and synthesizer restarted playing. Mara held her bass and readied to play again as Mayday and Zuke followed suit with their own instruments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, didn’t expect this to be this fun to write! It’s been a while since I’ve done some action writing but it was fun. So phase one is in the books and into phase two!
> 
> I had to play a bit of the game to get some inspiration. I also took inspiration from other games like Drakengard/NieR, No More Heroes, and Bayonetta in regards to combat. Basically, lots of over-the-top action since I feel that fits NSR. It’ll definitely be more prevalent as the fight drags on so yeah. Also, lots of research into music to get that right feeling for this fight. For a better idea on what coldwave sounds like, listen to “Play Alone” by Asylum Party or “Enslaved” by Diva Destruction. Of course, there are plenty of coldwave playlists around too but definitely give it a listen! I was listening to the FFXIV OST and that works too since that has a pretty amazing soundtrack for fights, especially “To The Edge.”
> 
> Now we’re learning more about Mara which is the other reason why I’m excited for these chapters to get to the reason why she’s doing what she does. She’s angry at B2J for her band leaving her for sure but is there any more of a reason for her to be mad? Find out soon!
> 
> Lastly, thank you all so much again for reading! It makes me happy to see that people are enjoying this and I hope it continues to entertain as we reach the climax. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
> 
> Until next time, see you at the next update!


	16. Phase Two - Unbound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chains and ghosts aren’t fun.

The atmosphere within the auditorium felt like a frozen tundra as Mara continued to play her bass. The music of synthesizer and the drum machine blended once again with her playing, becoming more intense this time around. 

If the previous encounters with the NSR megastars had taught them anything, Mayday and Zuke knew that the battle was only going to get more difficult. But even with their experience from their past conflicts, something in the air felt off. The feeling could be described like the encounter with Eve. Much like how the artist’s jealousy and fear of rejection twisted her, the pain Mara felt when her band left her had evolved into an unyielding aggression directed towards Bunk Bed Junction. And they knew that they had to be extra careful now.

In a quick moment of respite before they were to continue the fight, the two bandmates looked at each other.

“Ok, so now the stage is colder, she’s encased herself in ice, and the dogs look like ghosts,” Zuke said in a quiet tone, trying to analyze the situation they were in. “Any ideas?”

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Mayday responded with a determined grin on her face. “Now that she’s putting herself in ice, it’ll be way easier to smash her down! We keep playing as we were.”

“Your enthusiasm will get the better of you, Mayday.” Mara’s chilling voice spoke calmly, echoing around the duo. “Yet you should know that while ice may look fragile, it is resilient.”

Before they could react, the visibility on the stage changed dramatically. A sudden deep chill blew around Mayday and Zuke as snow began to fall, creating a white out. Mara’s music reverberated around them with the bass line being the most prominent. The two bandmates stood closely, back-to-back as they tried to assess what was happening. In the confusion, Mara continued to speak, her voice reverberating around them as if she was near and speaking in time with her playing.

“The partnership you both share is one that any can be envious of, myself included. The warmth of companionship is something that I longed for a very long time.”

“What are you talking about!?” Mayday called out to the white void. “You have your dogs!”

“I admit Alto and Bari are two of the greatest companions I could ever ask for, sometimes better than interacting with most humans. I love them and they love me. But emotional bonds between man and beast are different than what you feel with humans. With Inferno, I felt alive. Like I belonged to something great. But that flame is dead, buried under ash and snow. And you were the ones who extinguished it.”

“Mara, while our actions may have caused your band to kick you out, Mayday and I have no control of it!” Zuke shouted out, trying to reason with the bassist. “You can’t blame us for everything.”

“Then tell me, Zuke. If Bunk Bed Junction were to separate, how would you react? What if the situation was different and either of you were the one standing in my place? Would you have it in you to stop your former bandmate if they were on a rampage?”

Mayday and Zuke felt each other suddenly intake a breath. They looked over their shoulder to make eye contact with one another. Once again, Mara knew how to jab at the insecurities neither wished to speak about. But their minds lingered upon her words. A seemingly impossible scenario that they both did not want to imagine to be real. They remember what the bassist said to them within the labyrinth where she brought up their deepest fears. They also remembered that they never truly had a conversation to discuss what happened. 

Mayday’s throat felt dry as the cold, snowy wind whipped around them. She felt her breath being taken away but knew she had to say something. 

“Zuke!” Mayday called out over howling wind. “I know this isn’t the time for this but I’m sorry if you think I never cared for your opinion. I know I can rush into things and it gets us in trouble and-“

“Save it, May,” Zuke said loudly, his voice carrying over the wind. “Even if it’s almost gotten us killed a few times, I would never want to leave your side. We’re partners and we’ll see this through to the end. We will never end up like her.”

Mayday couldn’t help but smile at Zuke’s reassuring words. “That’s right, buddy. We’ll never, ever become like her.”

Mayday turned her attention away from Zuke and faced onward. She gripped the neck of her guitar tightly and she no longer felt the bitterness of the cold. A fire was building within her and she was ready to face whatever Mara was going to throw at that.

“I know you’re listening to us,” Mayday called out to the snowy void. “You think you know everything about us, but you’re wrong! We’re nothing like you! We’re nothing like your old band! And, together, we’re going to take you down!”

The sound of the howling wind was the only thing that responded to Mayday. The duo continued to stand with their backs touching each other in silence, anticipating Mara’s response.

“...Very well.” Mara’s voice was quiet but had a dangerous edge to it. “If that is what you think, then allow me to give you both a gift.”

Before Mayday or Zuke could answer to her, they both felt a freezing sensation around the wrist of their gloved hands. The sensation brought discomfort as a shackle made of ice tightened around their wrist. It felt constricting, like a serpent constricting their limbs. They looked down and noticed they were linked together by a frozen chain. The chain, while inanimate and frozen, felt as if it were a living being.

“May the bonds that bring you both together also tear you apart.”

The visibility began to clear up as the snow and wind stopped. Alto and Bari stood on opposite sides of Mayday and Zuke, several meters away. The drumming machine and synthesizer noises were more prevalent now that the snow had cleared. Bari stared at Mayday and Alto was focused on Zuke, their single blue eyes glowing. Their lips were curled into a snarl as they growled ferociously at the two. Mayday and Zuke kept their backs to each other and held their instruments tightly in their hands. The chain made of ice made a noise as they moved their arms. Zuke looked down at the frozen shackle around his right wrist, moving his wrist to try to loosen the construct.

“I have a bad feeling about this…” he muttered under his breath. 

“We don’t have time to worry about that now!” Mayday shouted, snapping his attention away from the cuff. She was staring at him over her shoulder and gave a reassuring smile. “Let’s stay together and keep playing.”

Zuke stared at Mayday for a moment. His eyes glanced away from her and widened in sudden fear as he stared past her.

“May! Watch out!”

Mayday quickly turned around but it was too late for her to react. Bari was only a few meters away and he was galloping towards her. The wraithlike beast lunged at Mayday, his jaws wide open and ready to bite. Moving on instinct, she brought up her guitar to block the blow. Her quick reflexes worked and she was able to miss the full force of the beast’s bite. Despite her efforts, his teeth still managed to graze her left bicep before he ran away towards Alto. A straight mark appeared on her arm as a thin line of blood trickled down from the wound. Mayday looked at the mark and was surprised to feel only a slight amount of discomfort.

“That’s weird,” Mayday marveled as she stared at the wound. “I would’ve expected this to hurt-“

Mayday was cut off by Zuke letting off an anguished groan. His right hand covered his left bicep, in the same place where Mayday was injured. His eyes were clenched shut and his teeth gritted together. Mayday looked at her partner in shock and immediately turned to face him, placing her hands on his shoulders to comfort him.

“S-so c-cold.” Zuke was quivering as he spoke. He opened one eye and stared at the shackle on his right wrist. “S-so that’s how it’s g-going to be…”

Mayday looked at her partner in confusion. “Zuke? What’s going on?”

Zuke took a moment but then gathered his composure. He pointed at the frozen cuff on Mayday’s left wrist. “Mara linked us. I’m not a hundred percent on this but if one of us gets hurt, the other is going to feel it. And it’s going to feel a lot worse.”

Mayday felt her blood boil as she looked at the chain that bound her and Zuke. “Dammit! What a rotten trick she’s pulling!”

“Either way, we’re going to have to be a lot more careful and aware of what’s going on.”

“Right! We need to figure out how to break this chain!”

Without much forethought, Mayday used her guitar and quickly swung at the link. The pointed end of the guitar struck the chain. Instead of shattering as intended, the chain remained as it was. Mayday shouted in frustration and swung at the icy bond again and again. As she continued to swing, Mara let out a chuckle. The duo looked over to her as she stood tall, a smug smile on her lips. Alto and Bari stood on either side of her, the incorporeal half of their bodies wrapped around her like a shawl. 

“I told you that ice is resilient but you always refuse to listen,” Mara said in a monotonous voice. The chain that wrapped around her hips swayed as she moved. “The bond you two share is your greatest strength but is also your greatest weakness. The closer you are, the stronger your connection is with one another. The further apart you are, the more isolated you feel. But even knowing this, one question stands. Can you really continue to fight knowing that a single wrong move could permanently end your partner?”

Mayday and Zuke stared at Mara with a mix of rage and uncertainty. The stakes were increasing and not in their favor. It was already difficult juggling Mara and her beasts but now having to be extra aware of each other’s safety was definitely going to be a burden. A heavy burden that frightened the both of them, should something go terribly wrong.

The bass line that Mara played changed in key. She closed her eyes as she played, feeling herself getting lost in the rhythm. The pounding bass guitar transcended over the synthetic, unliving music provided by the synthesizer and the drum machine. If this were a different situation, Mayday and Zuke probably would have enjoyed her playing. But now with their lives on the line, there was no time for that. The bassist opened her eyes and looked down on the duo. She raised her right hand, momentarily interrupting her strumming, and held her fingers together.

“Now, let's see just how much trust you truly have in one another. Unless you both succumb to fear.”

Mara snapped her fingers and went back to playing her instrument. As she played, Alto vanished, turning into ghostly wisp that floated overhead. Once several meters in the air and above Mayday and Zuke, the apparition of Alto created a circle of glittering frost crystals . Within the circle, jagged forms of ice began to form with the pointed end aiming towards the duo below. 

Following the timing of the drumming machine, the frozen shards fell from the sky. Mayday and Zuke quickly rolled out of the way, narrowly dodging out of the way as the shards pierced into the stage floor. They both looked up only to see more crystalline circles forming overhead in sequence. The sharp, frozen fragments fell in beat with the synthetic drums, forcing Mayday and Zuke to keep moving. They continued to move out of the way, carefully dodging the shards in sync with each other and the beat. But as the repetitive motion continued, the timing with the beat became off. The fatigue began to wear on the duo and a lapse in judgement caused Zuke to lose the rhythm. A jagged piece of ice sliced through his right ankle, leaving a gash in its wake. The pain was sharp but managed to go away shortly, only leaving a slight bit of discomfort. However, while the pain began to subside with Zuke, Mayday buckled over and grasped at her ankle as agony shot through her.

“Son of a-!” Mayday shouted as she writhed in pain.

Almost forgetting the falling projectiles, Zuke grabbed Mayday by her shoulder and helped roll her out of harm’s way. More shards fell from the sky with every movement the duo made, continuing to fall in sync with the drumming machine. Out of frustration and agony from moving, Mayday swung her guitar towards the shards. Parrying the frozen fragments shot them towards the crystal circle and a loud yelping noise was heard. The drumming machine stopped playing and the circle disbanded as the apparition of Alto fell from the sky. The wraith beast crashed hard into the ground and was stunned by the force of the fall. 

The pain in Mayday’s ankle ebbed as she and Zuke stared at the dazed beast. Once knowing Alto was not going to move, Zuke looked at Mayday with worry on his face.

“Are you ok, May?” He asked, his voice racked with concern and guilt. “I-I didn’t mean to mess up on the timing.”

“Yeah, don't worry I’m fine,” Mayday said as she let out a breath. “But, damn, did that freaking hurt!”

“You’re going to pay for hurting Alto,” Mara snarled. She began to play quicker on her bass, plucking at the strings with such an intensity.

As Mara played, Bari came bounding towards them. His mouth parted and blue tongue out as he ran. His body began to disappear as the visibility began to disappear again. A chilly, white fog descended around Mayday and Zuke. The pounding rhythm of Mara’s bass and the robotic sound synthesizer the only noise in the vicinity, hiding the position of the Bari. The duo carefully watched the area around them, ready for wherever the beast may strike.

Fading in slowly, the music of the synthesizer became louder. All of a sudden, Mayday fell backwards as a force pushed her. She landed hard onto her back and felt a heavy presence loom over her. Bari’s large paws pressed into her shoulders, his claws digging into her flesh. She was face to face with the beast, his blue eye glowing in the fog. Surprisingly, despite his menacing appearance, Bari did not stare at Mayday with malice. Instead he looked at her inquisitively, like he did when they first met. However, he was the enemy now and Mayday struggled underneath his weight to free herself.

“You’re a ghost now!” She said loudly through gritted teeth. “Why are you so heavy!?”

The chain that was still bound around her wrist made a noise as Zuke moved towards the beast. Being weighed down himself inadvertently due to the link, the drummer tried his best to shove Bari off of his partner. The ice wolf snarled and jumped back at the sensation before running away from sight. Zuke quickly helped Mayday up before Bari could return.

“We need to pay attention to the synthesizer and just wait till he gets closer,” Zuke explained, trying to speak over the bass line that Mara played.

“Got it, bash him when he gets close!” Mayday responded as she held her guitar up.

They listened closely to the music, waiting for the opportunity to strike. As if having an idea as to what they were planning, the sound of Mara’s bass grew louder to help mask her canine bandmate’s movement. The bass pounded, resonating like a heartbeat. The sound of claws running over the ground in time with the beat of the music sounded distant at first but then grew louder. Zuke waited patiently for the moment, counting the beats as the beast drew near.

“One.”

The synthesizer grew louder.

“Two.”

The sounds Bari panting could now be heard.

“Three.”

A loud snarl and claws leaving the ground.

“Four!”

On the fourth beat, Zuke swung his drumsticks as hard as he could. He felt his instrument make contact with Bari’s skull and the beast let out a loud whimper. At that moment, the visibility immediately cleared up. The beast fell to the ground as the synthesizer grew silent, dazed from the blow to his head. The only music that played now was Mara’s bass. The bassist watched as Bari fell and her eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and anger.

“Bari!” She called out. Instead of her voice sounding cold, Mara’s voice was starting to show some emotion. 

Knowing that Mara was no longer protected by her beasts, Mayday and Zuke ran towards the bassist. The chain skittered along the ground behind them as they ran. They raised their instruments to strike and Mara followed suit, readying herself to defend from the oncoming onslaught. 

The duo and Mara faced off once again, their instrument clashing with one another. Despite the hindrance being linked together by a chain, Mayday and Zuke were able to move in sync with one another, both surprising and angering Mara greatly. The attack went on for several moments. Growing exhausted from fighting two people at the same time once again, Mara took a wrong step and her foot was in a circle surrounded by the chain. Mayday and Zuke noticed this and smirked at each other. They both took a step back, the motion tightening the chain around Mara’s ankle. The bassist gasped as she fell to her knees. As she fell, Mayday’s guitar made contact with the bassist’s exposed stomach. Mara groaned and doubled over as the wind was knocked out of her. Her eyes were wide with shock as she stared at the stage floor. 

Mayday and Zuke felt the shackle around their wrist loosen. They looked down at their wrists and watched as the construct turned into a powdery snow, vanishing from sight. They turned their attention back to Mara, their expressions hardening.

“Give it up, Mara,” Mayday said in an angry tone to the bassist. “You can try to drive us apart all you want but it’s never going to work.”

“Please stop this, Mara,” Zuke added in a softer tone. “We can end this and go about peacefully-“

“Shut up!” Mara spat angrily, her chill demeanor gone completely. She looked up at the duo with rage in her blue eyes. “Now you want to settle things peacefully? When I’m on my knees looking weak like some injured mutt!?”

A sudden blast of cold air knocked Mayday and Zuke away from Mara, sending them towards the edge of the stage. Mara slowly returned to her feet, her knees buckling together as if she was having a hard time standing. The moonlight above her casted shadows across her face as it twisted in fury.

“I understand now that there’s no way of driving you apart. The bond you two share is stronger than anything I can ever imagine. But why? Why do you both get to go unpunished for your deeds and I’m left alone!?”

“Mara, you’re doing this to yourself!” Zuke shouted, trying to reason with the bassist. “You can’t keep blaming us for everything that’s happened to you!”

“Yeah, stop feeling sorry for yourself and get your head out of your ass!” Mayday shouted in a less friendly tone. “Zuke and I have no control over what your crappy bandmates did to you. But you have to stop taking it out on us!”

“It’s easy for you to say because you have someone who cares for you,” Mara responded in a low tone. “The city was almost wiped off the face of the earth and, instead of facing any sort of punishment, what do you get? The blessing of NSR, the adoration from your fans, and the support of each other.”

Mara paused to collect her thoughts. Her face relaxed and went back to its neutral state.

“I’ve never cared for fame or adoration. I play music to connect people and make them feel. That’s why I love the bass guitar. It’s an instrument that does not just create noise, it lets you feel the music.”

A spark of passion twinkled in Mara’s eyes as she talked about playing music. Despite her disagreements with the bassist, Mayday couldn’t help but be moved by her words and resonate with what was being said. The sparkle faded as Mara’s eyes lowered.

“Losing my band was like a dagger to the heart. A cold feeling like no other. I set out to form my pack so no one would have to know what it’s like to be alone as an outcast.”

A loud pounding came from the doors that lead into the auditorium, causing Mayday and Zuke to jump. The noise continued as yelling and the chanting of a crowd accompanied it. They turned their attention back to Mara, who was now flanked by Alto and Bari.

“I know that I can not convince you to join and I know that I can never drive you both apart to understand the pain I feel. Now, I know it’s better to just extinguish you.”

Alto and Bari wrapped around Mara as a white mist formed around her. The sound of ice forming came loudly as the mist grew in size. Silence fell upon the stage and then A deep growling noise was heard. The ice shattered and flew into the air as the mist dissipated.

Where Mara once stood was now a gargantuan beast almost the size of Yinu’s mother when she was at her angriest. A three-head wolf creature with a body that was a mixture of ice and fur that was as white as snow. Between the heads were only five blue eyes with the middle head having two and the left and right head having one, mirroring the look of Alto and Bari. Like with their smaller frozen form, speakers were embedded in the icy parts of their body. A frozen chain wrapped around the midsection of the beast like how Mara’s chain belt wrapped around her hips. A mechanical tail that resembled a serpent stared at Mayday and Zuke. The duo had seen crazy stuff before but never would have imagined this. 

All three of the beast head’s lips curled up as their eyes looked at Mayday and Zuke, trying to mimic a smile. 

“Now that we are together, what hope do you have in winning?” Mara’s voice echoed around them loudly as she spoke. 

The pounding at the door stopped as it flew open. The fans of Frostbite that crowded the Natura district’s entrance slowly lumbered into the auditorium. They continued to wear a limited amount of clothing, feeling unaffected by the cold weather. They had a vacant expression on their face but did not seem to be acting under any influence other than their own. On each of them was either a mechanical skull of a wolf or a serpent wrapped around them. The apparatus, while animal shaped, also was mounted with a speaker: both located within the mouths of the mechanical beast. The fans gathered in the audience and some made their way to the stage. 

Bunk Bed Junction was surrounded. And they were severely outnumbered.

Mayday and Zuke looked at each other in confusion and uncertainty. The three headed beast placed a paw on the frozen throne and easily toppled it over, shattering it to a pile of snow and ice. Mara’s voice continued to speak as the three headed beast snarled at the duo.

“Now is the chance to choose: submit or freeze and be consumed by the pack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, very long chapter but so much fun to write! 
> 
> And now the climax is raising and the part I wanted to get to is finally here. When creating Mara, the end goal was always a Cerberus-like creature being one of her final forms. Originally there were going to be three dogs that formed Cerberus and Mara, but that idea was scrapped because I didn’t want to want for one extra characters. So three dogs became two with Mara taking the place of the center head for the showdown. Because Cerberus is tied with Greek Mythology, when Alto and Bari were getting their names, they were originally going to be called Persephone and Hades. But this is a game about music and decided otherwise, coming up with Alto and Bari(tone). For singing, the alto and baritone are the lower range voices which is perfect because a bass guitar is a lower octave instrument. On the plus side, Alto and Bari sound more like believable dog names.
> 
> Before I close this I want to give a big thank you to my boyfriend, who is also an artist who is working on Mara’s design. Going into this, I wanted to create a scenario that I wished to see in NSR. My boyfriend has been extremely supportive throughout this entire endeavor and has actually been a spearhead when it comes to ideas for Mara and for helping with the real characters of NSR. We’re finalizing a finish drawing of her and hope to share it in the coming weeks. And, thanks to him being a better designer than I am a describer, I have to go back and edit some of the past chapters to include Mara’s updated appearance. Grumble.
> 
> Thank you all so much again for taking the time in reading! I hope you have a happy and safe holiday! See you next update


	17. Phase Three - Hopeless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning: one moment in this chapter might be intense for some. This is your warning. Regardless, please enjoy the chapter.

An unsettling feeling fell upon Mayday and Zuke as the concert hall grew colder than even colder than before. The duo had grown used to handling danger and battling people who were the size of a large building. They fought against people who could augment the very fabric of reality and were still able to come out on top. This battle should have been finished by now.

But this whole situation felt different.

Now they were facing a gigantic three-headed wolf beast composed of fur, ice, and metal. They were now surrounded by what appeared to be about hundred fans that stared past them absentmindedly. Even if the gathered crowd was not hostile towards them, their presence alone was staggering. And it did not take long to realize that they were at a disadvantage. 

The beast raised its three heads, its massive jaws parting revealing sharp teeth made of ice. It’s fangs glistened in the moonlight. The mechanical snake tail lashed about for a moment before opening its own mouth, revealing a large speaker near the back of its throat. The blue eyes of the beast stared at Mayday and Zuke intently, eerily and smugly staring at the rockers. Mara’s voice reverberated around Mayday and Zuke, causing the auditorium to shake slightly with every word as she spoke to the loyal fans that gathered.

“Rise and join in the chorus, brothers and sisters! Let the city hear your howls. Together we will show them the strength of our Pack!”

The fans of Frostbite roared loudly with cheers following Mara’s words. They raised their arms and chanted for her, singing praises for the bassist in bringing them together. The metal, animallike apparatus that they all wore opened their jaws much like the beast’s snake tail, revealing more speakers. 

Zuke looked around them, trying to analyze the situation. With the large subwoofers embedded in the beast’s body, the serpent tail that doubled as one, and the now hundreds of mini-speakers adorned by the fans, the sound levels were going to be unprecedented. 

“With the amount of speakers in here now this isn’t going to be good…” Zuke muttered under his breath.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mayday welcomed the new challenge. She clutched her guitar tightly in her grasp and grinned. Even if the battle was beginning to wear on her and she knew the bruises were going to be there for a while, she was ready for the challenge. 

“Then we’re just going to play louder than she does!” Mayday proclaimed proudly. “She might be a creepy, three-headed dog now but that’s not going to stop us. Let’s show her how to really rock, partner!”

The three-headed wolf scoffed and lowered the front part of its body to the ground. 

“Your hubris will be your own undoing,” Mara’s voice said as the beast growled at the duo. The beast reared up on its hind legs, tucking its massive paws under its chest. “Now, fall.”

The drumming machine played from the beast’s right side speakers, it’s cadence more aggressive than earlier. The synthesizer continued to play as well in rhythm with the machine, the noise coming from the left side of the creature. Oddly enough, there was none of Mara’s bass playing to be heard.

The weight of the beast came down and it slammed its front paws on the stage floor with the synthetic beat once. The force caused a surge of frost to fan out away from the three-headed monster, rippling through like an ocean wave. Even from a distance Mayday and Zuke could feel an intense chill as the wave barreled towards them. Though the surge could easily immobilize anything in its wake, the fans on the stage and near the beast were unaffected by it. The duo knew they would not be as fortunate were they to remain where they were. Zuke counted the beats of the synthetic drumming and tried his best to determine when they could avoid the frost wave.

“May, follow my lead,” he said to the guitarist. “Once it gets close to us, we jump over it.”

Mayday nodded enthusiastically at her partner’s plan. “You got it!”

The cold wave barreled closer towards the duo. As Zuke had predicted, the wave was following the rhythm of the beat. On the next downbeat, it would be near enough to evade. The sharp chill from the attack was beginning to grow unbearable as it grew closer. Jump too soon or too late and they were sure to turn into a frozen sculpture, much like Yinu’s mother. Finally, the timing came near. At the moment before the downbeat, they jumped and avoided the frost wave. 

“Annoying pests,” Mara growled. The middle head of the beast’s lips were curled into a snarl as it’s piercing blue eyes glared at Mayday and Zuke. “Let’s see if you’re nimble enough to avoid this.”

The head on the beast's right side, the one that resembled Alto, closed its left eye and tilted its head up to the air. With its snout pointed towards the full moon, the right head let out a haunting howl that synchronized with the synthesizer. As she howled, the ice fragments of the now shattered ice throne floated skyward. The shards of ice created a circle in the air, reminiscent of Alto’s attack when she was in her wraith form. Following the beat of the drum, the sharp shards fell from the sky towards Mayday and Zuke. Mayday smirked and raised her guitar, readying herself to strike at the ice.

“You need to learn a new trick!” Mayday shouted at the beast.

As the frozen fragments fell, Mayday swung her guitar and parried the shards. The jagged ice was redirected towards the three-headed beast at an incredible velocity. As the ice heralded towards the creature, Mara let out a low chuckle. A single bass chord played. The mechanical snake tail and the speakers that the fans of Frostbite wore reverberated with the sound, shaking the concert hall. The force of the sound was enough to make Mayday and Zuke stumble and lose their balance. They both watched in shock as their attempt of an attack was intercepted, the ice shattering in frosty mist that glimmered in the moonlight. As the chord faded, the fans of Frostbite cheered loudly. The duo slowly returned to their feet and tried to collect themselves. Zuke stared at the monster with his eyes wide in surprise while Mayday glared up at the beast defiantly.

The beast smiled at the duo. “Fools, did you really think that would work against us? We have united as one conscience, one ideal. The Pack remains standing while you grovel at our feet. Give up.”

“That’s...that’s not fair!” Mayday yelled, her hands clutching tightly at her guitar. “You and your stupid zombie fans can’t do this.”

Mara chuckled. A deep rumbling noise came from the beast as it stared down in Mayday with a glimmer of superiority in its eyes.

“The Pack came together of their own free will. They are here because they believe in our message. Unlike your fans that united to bring chaos, mine seek companionship and to never be alone. Is there any harm in that?”

“But what you’re doing is wrong!” Mayday shot back. “I get you, it sucks to be alone and losing your band is probably one of the worst things that can happen to a musician. And it’s a scary thought to think about.” She paused for a moment to glance over at Zuke. He gave her a small smile and nodded, urging her to continue speaking.

Mayday smiled back at her bandmate and turned her attention back to the three-headed beast. “But you can’t be shoving your beliefs down everyone’s throats just because you're hurt! You can’t force people to suffer just because you want them to feel how you do!”

For a moment, the monster of metal and ice hesitated. The middle head of the beast had a neutral expression. The left and right head, sensing the middle’s sudden change in demeanor, looked at the center one in confusion. A few beats passed and the three heads redirected their focus on Mayday and Zuke, snarling aggressively at them.

“As if you would understand our pain,” Mara’s voice said quietly. The beast changed its posture to make itself look even larger than it already was. Mara’s voice changed and became more dangerous. “And now we intend to do what Tatiana was unable to: finish this and stop you.”

The music from the bass resumed. The pace of the playing was rapid as it meshed with the intense music from the drumming machine and synthesizer. The ground pounded with the music from the bass guitar due to the amount of speakers in the area. The music almost became disorienting as Mayday and Zuke struggled to stand or even focus. 

“We need to find a way to stop the speakers,” Zuke shouted over the music. “We can’t do a thing unless we disable them!”

“Then can we start breaking the crap that those fans are wearing!?” Mayday shouted back.

“We can try but there’s hundreds of them. I don’t think we’ll be able to destroy all of them in time.”

Before Mayday could respond to her bandmate, the ice beast slammed its front paws on the ground twice. Two frozen mist waves fanned away from the impact. Though the pounding bass line was having an effect on their coordination, the duo were able to keep their timing right and avoided both of the chilling waves. The right head lifted its head once again and let out a howl. Same as before, jagged shards of ice formed overhead Mayday and Zuke. Falling to the time of the beat, the ice fell from the sky and the duo dodged it narrowly.

The beast’s attacks continued to the timing of the music and all Bunk Bed Junction could do was avoid it. The jumping and rolling became routine as they tried to find a way to damage the ice Cerberus. But with the heavy, disorienting playing of the bass pounding into their ear, soon the timing became off. One more stomp of the monster’s paws and another wave of rime moved through the area. Mayday missed the timing and the wave knocked her off her feet. 

The chill felt like nothing she had ever felt before. It took her breath away and made it difficult to move. The loud music made it hard to concentrate and soon things started to sound fuzzy. Her instrument was too far to grab. She could barely make out Zuke’s voice as he called for her. She could do nothing as she watched her bandmate soon fall over, missing the timing of the music out of concern for her. They were a meter away from each other and stared at each other with wide eyes, unable to know how to process the situation. They tried reaching towards one another but the soreness in their joints made it impossible.

Everything was growing colder. And quieter.

Through the muffled sound, Mara’s voice was irritatingly clear and echoed quietly.

“Your struggle is over. You cannot win now. Close your eyes and admit defeat. Close your eyes and drift to sleep. Close your eyes and dream of ice…”

Mara’s voice was hauntingly soothing as the cold feeling in Mayday’s body shifted to feeling numb. She looked at Zuke as a horrified expression was in his tired eyes. She felt a stray tear freeze to her skin as it tried to roll down her cheek.

She opened her mouth to try to say something but the freeze took the words away. Mayday weakly muttered to her partner.

“Z-Zuke...I’m s-s-sorry…”

The edges of her vision grew dark as all feeling and warmth felt it was absorbed out of her. It shouldn’t have ended like this. They should’ve won. But this wasn’t the case. 

Mayday’s mind drifted to nothingness as only the cold consumed her thoughts. The bass guitar continued to harmonize with the fake sounding synthetic instruments. The mindless crowd cheered loudly. A soft, familiar piano tune played delicately against the current music.

Piano?

Using what little strength she had left, Mayday moved her head and focused on the three-headed monster. The ice beast noticed the music, as well, and it’s ears moved wildly in separate directions to try to pinpoint where it was coming from. 

The piano playing grew more powerful and louder with every passing moment when suddenly, a giant red fist appeared through the floor of the stage. The fist made contact with the stomach of the beast and knocked it away. The music stopped and the fans stopped cheering. While the three-headed beast tried to regain its breath, a gigantic, looming figure pulled itself out of the newly made hole in the stage floor.

The stopping of the music had allowed Mayday and Zuke to regain some of their strength as warmth slowly returned to them. They sat up slowly and tried to understand what had just happened. Their eyes went to the middle of the stage and stared. They couldn’t help but be shocked, confused, and relieved at who had made their appearance.

The towering red figure of a woman wearing broken chains made of ice stared at the ice beast with unbridled anger. She held something in her hands and gently set it down. It was a white and gold piano that was crafted in the shape of a leaf. At the keys was a golden haired child, ready to play her instrument with all her heart. 

There was no doubt about it. 

Yinu and her mother had returned and were ready to join in the fight.

“You are a bad doggie!” Yinu yelled at the beast. “How dare you hurt mama!? You’re going to pay for what you’ve done!”

The ice beast roared in frustration at the child. “How!? How could you have broken free from your bonds!?”

Taking the opportunity, Zuke quietly thought to himself. Mayday was busy looking at Yinu’s mother and the ice sculpture that was in the likeness of her. Coming to a conclusion, Zuke snapped his fingers.

“I get it,” he said in a slow voice as his brain processed the information. “With the Cerberus jumping up and down on the stage in combination with the loud music, it must have shattered the ice chains that kept them captive.”

“But that doesn’t explain the ice sculpture of her mom!” Mayday exclaimed in frustrated confusion.

Zuke’s eyes narrowed as he looked at his bandmate. Before he could respond to her, Mara’s rage-filled voice howled in the air.

“I silenced you once and I will silence you again! This time I might actually turn you both into sculptures!”

The three-headed monster lunged at Yinu’s mother as the music resumed, all its mouths parted and ready to bite. Yinu’s mother howled back in anger and caught the left and right heads of the beast in her hands, successfully holding back the beast. The middle head tried biting her but the giant woman was able to keep the beast at a distance. The metallic head of the snake tail was too far away to bite at her, as well. Using the distraction, Yinu looked to Mayday and Zuke.

“Bunk Bed Junction!” Yinu shouted over her piano playing. “Mama and I will distract the doggie!”

Yinu’s mother grunted as she continued to use her strength to stop the beast. Though she was free, she was severely weakened from confinement. Through gritted teeth, she called out. “You must cut off the electricity to this place! There is a box directly under the stage. Destroy it! Yinu and I will give you some time but destroy it quickly!”

Mayday and Zuke rose to their feet as they felt their second wind come through. They grabbed their instruments and made their way to the hole in the stage floor. They jumped down and landed on a walkway that was lined with lights. Near the end of the walkway was a large electric box that was just begging to be destroyed. The duo looked at each other and nodded before making their way down the long hall.

“No! I won’t allow you to do this!” Mara’s voice shrieked.

From above, the metallic snakehead of the beast’s tail crashed through the floor to try to stop the two. Mayday and Zuke were able to avoid the serpent and watched it as it retreated. They continued to run down the halls until they made it to the end. They both looked at each other as they gathered their breath. Zuke held up his drumsticks and gave a small smirk to Mayday.

“You ready to smash this?” He asked rhetorically.

“Let’s freaking do it!” Mayday responded as an evil smile grew on her face.

Raising her guitar, she swung at the electrical box alongside Zuke. Throwing caution to the wind, they continued to bash at the giant box and hoped what they were doing was enough. As they carried on, the serpent head smashed through the floor again. Zuke stopped what he was doing and turned around, his eyes growing wide once he realized that they were now cornered by the metal snake.

“Mayday!” He shouted, trying to get his bandmate’s attention.

“I got this!” Mayday shouted back as she took a final swing at the box.

A loud zap was heard as the mechanical snake lunged at the duo. Suddenly, the lights turned off and the loud music stopped playing. The snake, who was close in striking distance seized in movement. It’s heavy head crashed into the floor and it’s eyes stared blankly without focus. Mara cursed loudly and the beast was growling furiously now.

The power had been successfully cut and they now had a chance.

Mayday and Zuke ran up the head and neck of the snake, using it as a staircase to return to the stage. Now darkened, the only thing that illuminated the stage was the light of the moon. They made their way back to Yinu, who was still playing her piano passionately. She didn’t even notice the rock duo had returned. 

“I will not allow it to end this way!” Mara roared. “I will-“

Before Mara could continue speaking, Yinu’s mother punched the middle head. The force of the punch sent the beast flying back with its body slamming hard into the wall. The fans of Frostbite stood mindlessly with their mouths agape, watching the scene as it was happening. Yinu’s mother was panting harshly and she doubled over, now at the end of her energy. Yinu stopped playing and ran to her mother’s side, grabbing at the giant woman’s thumb. At the sight of her daughter’s safety, her mother gave a soft smile. She looked back at the beaten beast and let her face harden.

“And that...was for making my daughter scared,” Yinu’s mother said in a low tone.

Mayday and Zuke looked at the three-headed beast and noticed just how weakened it was. It was dazed and trying to recover but could not stand. The once impregnable monster was now moments away from defeat. Mayday quickly turned to her partner and looked at him with eagerness.

“Alright, Zuke. Let’s finish this.”

Zuke gave a small smile, knowing full well what was going to happen next. He got his drumstick ready and said the words Mayday couldn’t wait to hear.

“There’s only one way to end this.”

Mayday clutched her guitar by the neck and got herself pumped up. “Let’s stop her once and for all.”

Mayday held up her gloved hand to her partner and shouted. “Red Light!”

Zuke’s own gloved hand made contact with her’s as they pounded them together. “Green Light!”

The two stood together as they stared at the three-headed wolf. Zuke brought his drumsticks up into the air and followed the motions that were all too familiar. They shouted in unison to the words, with even Yinu joining along, as Zuke brought his drumsticks together.

“Bunka! Junka! Shakalaka-“

“You think you’ve won? You. Have. Won. NOTHING.”

“-BAM!”

Mayday and Zuke played in unison as a blast of energy shot towards the beast. The heads on the left and right side suddenly perked up as the middle head charged up an attack of its own. From its mouth, a blast of frozen energy lobbed through the air and made contact with the one sent by Bunk Bed Junction. The two balls of energy struggled with one another for several intense moments. The dueling balls of light illuminated the area before a sudden burst happened.

Yinu’s mother called for her child.

Zuke called for Mayday.

A loud, pained whimper.

And then, there was silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, that was intense. Hope you all enjoyed the return of a certain two though, despite the wait!
> 
> Next chapter will be a break from the fighting. Mostly I want a break from it and figure it calls for a heart-to-heart.
> 
> As the story draws closer to completion, I just want to thank you all again for taking the time in reading. I hope you have been enjoying it so far. Please stay tuned for the next update, which should be turned out a lot quicker.


	18. Light and Dark

_What happened? Everything was finally going to work but then…_

_Where’s Yinu? Her mom? Mara?_

_...Zuke?_

When Mayday was starting to come to, all she could feel was soreness. The bruises on her body and aches in her joints made it impossible to want to move. It felt like she was tossed out to sea and left at the mercy of the waves, being tossed around and thrown upon a rocky shore repeatedly. Her eyes were clenched shut and she didn’t want to open them. She wanted to remain on the cold, hard ground and just rest. Even though she knew it was not the wisest idea to remain where she was, the relaxing heat of the fire nearby made her calm.

_Wait, fire?_

Mayday’s eyes shot open at the sudden realization. She quickly turned her head to the side, which was not the smartest idea and quickly caused a new sensation of pain. Ignoring the pain in her neck, she let her eyes focus on the dancing orange and yellow blob of light until it became clear. Using the pieces of the stage floor as kindling, the flame illuminated a small area around it. The crackling of the wood burning echoed in the broken concert hall.

Mayday stared at the flame, letting the warmth of it soothe her. Her mind drifted to who could’ve made the fire. Zuke must have had some knowledge on how to build a fire, or at least would have read a book explaining the steps to do it. Knowing him, he would have been considerate enough to make one to help warm the both of them up. But he would have made his presence known the moment Mayday made even the slightest movement.

Her mind drifted to the possibility of Yinu’s mother building a fire. Even then Mayday couldn’t believe it. Though they put aside their past transgressions to fight Mara together, it was doubtful that Yinu’s mother would be generous enough to do that. Her priority would be on Yinu’s safety. There was also the possibility of Yinu being the one who built a fire but Mayday had no idea if the child even knew how to.

That only left one other option.

“I was beginning to wonder when you’d start waking up.”

_Mara._

Mayday tilted her head to look up and, sure enough, the icy bassist was sitting close to her. Mara sat on the snow covered stage floor with her knees bent and her arms resting on them. Even with Mayday’s awakening, Mara’s gaze remained on the fire. Though her dark tattoos and blue skin made it hard to see if there were any visible injuries, the guitarist could make out some darkened areas and welts on the bassist’s skin. Despite her effort of casting a demeanor of stoicism, Mara could not hide that she was just as battered.

Regardless, even if she wasn’t actively going after her at that moment, Mara was still the enemy in Mayday’s eyes. Ignoring the pain in her body, Mayday quickly sat up. Her magenta eyes glared at Mara.

“Y-you!” Mayday hissed. “What’s going on!?”

Mara turned her head slowly to Mayday and tilted her head up. She stared down at the guitarist through her eyelashes.

“Calm down,” Mara commanded in a harsh tone. “We are both in no condition to continue fighting right now. Take the moment and relax.”

“Relax?” Mayday repeated in an aggressive, mocking voice. “Relax!? Y-you just nearly tried to kill us! What if you decide to pull a fast one on me and decide to do something now, huh?”

Mara rolled her eyes at Mayday as she glared at her. “There is no honor attacking someone when they can hardly move. I prefer my hunt to have a bit of fight in them before I make the final blow. Now, be quiet and relax.”

Mayday refused to back down. She wanted to fight there, to finish things once and for all. However, the tiny rational voice in her head started to make her come to her senses. Given there was no other person aside from Mara, she had to be the person who made the fire. Even if the bassist was a dangerous person, she seemed to be a person who kept her word. But that brought up so many questions. What happened after the Showstopper? Where was Yinu and her mom? Where were Mara’s pets? But most importantly…

“Where’s Zuke?” Mayday asked in a quiet tone.

Instead of answering right away, Mara’s eyes left Mayday’s face and went to stare down at the snow cover floor. The annoyed expression on her face switched to one that was unreadable. Mayday gritted her teeth at the lack of response from the bassist as she felt her blood boil.

“I swear, if you did anything to him, I’ll-“

“He protected you.”

Mayday’s eyes widened and her mouth parted slightly at Mara’s answer. Mara continued to speak once she was sure that she was not going to be interrupted.

“During your Showstopper and our response to it, the energy released a massive blast that would’ve easily rendered us all incapacitated. I believe your partner sensed the danger and he stood in the way, shielding you from critical damage.”

Mayday was at a loss for words as the memories were slowly returning to her. After their signature move and the three-headed ice beast’s attack to counter it, there was a bright light. Before she could comprehend what was happening, Zuke called out for her. Next thing she knew, she was held tightly in his arms as the world around them went silent. And then she woke up.

Mayday’s stare drifted to the fire, her eyes vacant and not focusing. She had no idea how to process what she just remembered. Was Zuke ok? Where was he? 

“I assure you your bandmate is alive,” Mara growled, snapping Mayday out of her thoughts. “Battered and bruised, but alive. The flower and her mother are fine, as well.”

“How can I believe you?” Mayday said in a strained voice. She looked at Mara with anger in her eyes. “You have done nothing but try to hurt us from the moment we met!”

Mara took a deep breath, trying to keep a calm tone as she spoke to Mayday. “I have done things I am not proud of. But I assure you, I am a person of my word. No harm has come to any of them while they were unconscious.”

“Then why did you take me away from them? Why build a fire to warm me up when you’ve been trying to freeze me? Why are you doing any of this!?”

“Perhaps to show you that I am not as much of a monster as you believe me to be.”

“Oh yeah? You sure have a funny way of doing that!”

Mara did not respond to Mayday and instead looked away from her. The bassist’s gaze shifted to the full moon that hung above the broken concert hall. After a moment of silence, Mara spoke in a quiet tone.

“Have you ever heard stories of wolves howling at the moon?”

Mayday blinked her eyes and stared at the bassist in confusion. Caught off guard by Mara’s sudden change in tone, she answered with the first thought that came to her head. “Uh, I’ve heard of werewolves transforming at full moons. You going to tell me your one of them now?”

Ignoring Mayday’s response, Mara sighed loudly and continued.

“It’s fiction, a romanticized tale from stories long ago. Wolves do not howl at the moon. Do you know why they howl?”

“Because they like to sing or hear themselves?”

“They howl so that their pack or loved ones can find them.”

Mayday was confused, not sure where Mara was going with her questions. Not paying attention to the guitarist’s bewilderment, she continued speaking.

“When Inferno abandoned me for not following them in their attempts to enter your revolution, I cried for them to accept me back. Even if I didn’t agree for what your revolution stood for, the thought of them leaving me behind terrified me more than anything.”

“But those dogs of yours,” Mayday interjected. “They’re always by your side. What are they to you?”

“Alto and Bari are the greatest companions I could have ever asked for. They make me feel not quite as lonely and listen to me. But I told you before, connections between man and beast are not the same as relationships with other people.”

Mara paused and took a deep breath. The bassist stood up and moved away from the fire, taking a few steps away from Mayday. Though now out of the fire’s light, she was enveloped by the moonlight. She continued to stare up at the moon and resumed speaking.

“When I was a child, my father would tell me stories of a spirit that took the form of a massive wolf. It was named Amarok. Unlike regular wolves, who lived in packs, the Amarok lived and hunted alone. At night, it would search for people foolish enough to hunt alone and devour them. As a child, I was terrified to enter the forests by myself at night because of the stories. When I became an adult, I knew it was childish to believe in folktales. But even still, the thought of being abandoned and isolated frightens me to no end.”

Mayday furrowed her brow as she slowly sat up onto her knees. Trying to make sense of what Mara was getting at, she continued to quietly listen while taking in the comfort of the warmth from the flame.

“Together with my bandmates, I thought I had finally attained the warmth of companionship that I had seeked.” Mara lowered her head to make eye contact with Mayday. “While it’s true that I wanted to create my Pack to unite people of all creeds, the main reason why I wanted to form it so that I had some peace of mind. Even if it was nothing but a mindless group of fans who enjoyed my music or because I caused a stir, that security brought a minor sense of comfort.”

Mayday stared at Mara intensely. The guitarist pounded her gloved hand on the ground once out of frustration.

“You call for all this ‘unity’ and ‘togetherness’ bullcrap and here you are attacking a district!” Mayday spat angrily. “And let’s not forget how you’ve tried to turn Zuke and me against each other! Do you really hate us that much that you don’t even follow your own beliefs?”

Mara looked at Mayday with wide eyes, her face conveying an expression of confusion. “Hate?”

“Don’t start that with me!” Mayday shouted back as she slowly rose to her feet. Continuing to ignore the pain in her body, she glared at Mara. “You’ve made it very clear how much you hate me and Zuke. That’s why you wanted to do all of this in the first place! Just so then you can take your revenge on us!”

Mara blinked twice. After a moment of silence, the bassist began to chuckle. Mayday raised a brow at her reaction, caught off guard by it.

“Uh, why are you laughing? That’s weird, stop it,”

Mara stopped chuckling and her face returned to its neutral expression.

“Never once have I said that I hated either of you. I have watched you both grow in the Underground. Even when you were still newcomers, I was enamored by your energy and the passion you brought when you came to the stage. The way you both played your instruments made me feel a sensation that I, even with my old bandmates, could not obtain.”

Mayday looked at Mara in surprise. She never would have guessed that the bassist was watching them all this time, let alone a fan. She stood quietly as Mara continued to speak.

“I watched with pride when you and Zuke performed for the Lights Up Audition. When you were voted out, I felt your pain and sadness. I wanted to believe that you could help bring rock out of the shadows of the Underground and back into the light. But then you began your revolution and everything fell apart…”

Mara’s gaze drifted away from Mayday. Mayday could not help but feel a little emotion after hearing the bassist’s words. She was starting to understand where Mara was coming from. Did it justify her actions? Of course not. But now knowing that Mara was a fan of their music all along changed things. Mayday looked at Mara, her throat feeling tight as she addressed the bassist.

“You know, Mara...if things were different and if Zuke were to ever leave me behind like your old group did, I’d probably be doing the exact same thing you’re doing. I’m extremely lucky to have a partner and friend like him and you’ve shown me that.”

Mara looked back at Mayday with her eyes wide, surprised by the soft tone in the guitarist’s voice.

“I’m not saying what you’re doing is a good thing,” Mayday corrected herself as she stumbled over her words. “But I feel like I understand you a little more. Your old band sucks majorly for giving up on you. But I’m sure one day you’ll find a group that’ll be there for you no matter what. Or maybe give your dogs a little more credit since they seem to stick by you no matter what. And, who knows, maybe we could’ve been friends too.”

The two musicians stood quietly and stared back at each other. Mayday remained in the light of the fire while Mara stood in the darkness with the moon overhead. A small smile came across Mara’s lips.

“It's been a long time since I’ve talked this much about myself,” Mara said quietly, her voice having a slightly warm tone to it. “Thank you for listening to me. However…”

A sudden, large gust of frigid air extinguished the fire and left the stage in darkness. The sudden wind forced Mayday to cover her face due to the force of it. When the gust stopped, Mayday looked at Mara in surprise and anger. The bassist’s face had returned to her cold expression and, with the light of the moonlight, Mayday noticed she was holding something in her hands. In her left hand, she held the neck of her bass guitar and in her right she was clutching at the neck of Mayday’s guitar. Before Mayday could protest to give her back her guitar, Mara spoke.

“Even if you are starting to understand my philosophy and show kindness, my stance as a pack leader will not allow you to best me. You are now alone, without the aid of your partner and, as we know, a guitar is nothing without the instruments that support it.”

Mara held up Mayday’s guitar in front of her, admiring the instrument for a moment. She tossed the guitar towards Mayday. Mayday gasped and ran to catch the instrument before it could make contact with the floor, falling to her knees to do so. She stared up at Mara with a rekindled anger. The moonlight reflected off of the icelike part of Mara’s hair as she looked down at Mayday. The gurgling growl of a wolf echoed in the darkness of the auditorium as Mara spoke.

Mayday smirked through the fury as she looked at the bassist, coming up with a jab to try to throw Mara off. “That’s real big talk coming from someone who thinks she’s still the top dog. Now let’s see how you can handle these riffs!”

Instead of getting angry or getting any reaction out of her, Mara stared at Mayday with a neutral expression.

“As Zuke, Alto, and Bari are unable to assist us at this moment, this will be a one-on-one battle between us. If you defeat me, I will relinquish control of the district back to the flower, accept whatever fate I am given, and vanish like the melting snow. But if I win, you will give up performing.”

Mayday gritted her teeth together in frustration at Mara’s challenge. The last thing she would ever want to do would be to give up performing. She had come so far and made friends with people who once were her enemies. But, most importantly, quitting music would devastate Zuke. Mayday could never forgive herself if it came to that.

Mayday wanted to force Mara to change the stake but she knew that she was in no position to argue this over with her. All she could do was just outplay her and beat her at her own game.

“Do we have a deal?” Mara asked firmly.

Mayday took a deep breath and answered. “Deal. And I’m not going to lose to you!”

A painful yet familiar sensation wrapped around Mayday’s left wrist as the frozen shackle suddenly reappeared. Mayday looked at the cuff and followed the chain that linked it. In response, Mara held up her right wrist to reveal an ice shackle on her own wrist. 

“Humans are not meant to be lonely creatures,” Mara said as she placed her hands into position on her bass guitar. “Will you rise up and be able to win without your partner? Or will you succumb to loneliness and be hunted in the chilling dark?”

Mayday placed her hands into position with her fingers on the strings of her instrument. She was ready for the final confrontation with Mara and going to show her how wrong she was.

“Let the howling of our instruments resonate with the sky above!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Climax hype! Next chapter will be the final part of the fight and then we will be going into the epilogue. This will be the first long story I’ve completed in a long time and I’m excited to have accomplished something. But, mostly, thank you so much for the readers who’ve been enjoying the story. I’ve spoken to a couple people outside of here and I cannot thank you enough for your kind words.
> 
> Anyway, we’ve gotten more information on Mara in terms of backstory and philosophy. In a way, Mara has always been intended to be a foil of Mayday. Even though she’s a bit twisted in ways of thinking, she never truly hated B2J. I’ve wanted Mara to be an antagonist and not a villain and I hope people have been enjoying her. She’s been so much fun to come up with!
> 
> Thank you all so much again for your continued support and everything! Next chapter should hopefully be out by next week and I’ll try my hardest to churn it out. Either way, thank you for your time and see you next update!
> 
> *”Gallant Ones” plays in the distant*


	19. Phase 4 - Duel

This was the moment Mayday had been waiting for. The muscles in her body were screaming out of exhaustion but she knew she only had to hold out for a little longer. The final showdown against Mara had just begun. A one-on-one fight to the end with both having stakes on the line.

For Mara it was the possibility of fading into obscurity, ready to embrace the isolation she had been afraid of for so very long.

For Mayday it was her existence as a performer. A fate that she would refuse to accept. To lose this was to lose everything. The friends she had gained through NSR, the experiences yet to come, and, most importantly, her relationship with Zuke.

Mayday stood on the dark, broken stage. Like a single lit candle against the darkness, she stared forward at Mara. The tight frozen shackle around her left wrist jingled slightly, the chained links clinking together as the bassist held up her left wrist.

“I hope you remember the rules pertaining to this,” Mara remarked in a cool tone, rattling the chain as she addressed it. “However, this game will play a bit differently than when you and Zuke were linked together.”

Of course Mayday remembered what happened when she bonded with the frozen shackle to Zuke. The pain sharing ability the item had whenever one of them was injured was a dirty, but effective trick. Mayday knew the bassist wouldn’t be foolish enough to add the same effect to it if she were on the other end of the link. However, she couldn’t help but try to poke holes at Mara’s tactic.

“Why wouldn’t you like to make this easier for me?” Mayday chided in a mocking tone. “If that were the case, I’d start punching myself now so then you’d be the one hurting!”

Even with the minimal lighting in the area Mayday could see Mara shaking her head in response.

“As endearing as your overconfidence is, I am beginning to grow rather annoyed by it,” Mara growled. She raised her right hand, preparing herself to start playing her instrument. “Let us see just how long your tiny, lone flame can last surrounded by the vast darkness.”

Without wasting another moment, Mara began to pluck at the strings of her bass. Not wanting to be outdone, Mayday began to strum her guitar and followed the rhythm the bass had set. Playing without Zuke’s accompaniment was an unfamiliar feeling to her but Mayday knew she had to be strong and carry on. She had to play hard enough for the both of them if she wanted to play another gig.

At first, the sound was rough and out of sync with both musicians vying for superiority over the other. However, as the playing continued, the opposing styles began to mesh. Mayday’s fiery and passionate strumming in harmony with Mara’s chilling bassline was an auditory delight. The two opposing rockers continued to play together, silently enjoying the music produced and unwilling to concede. However, this was not the time for compliments.

Mara stepped on the chain that linked them together. Distracted by her own playing, Mayday did not realize it before it was too late and felt her left hand being yanked away from the neck of her guitar. The force of the pull made her stumble forward a few paces. A sharp cold feeling touched her skin as she got closer to Mara. Difficult to see because of the minimal lighting, the bassist’s leg that wasn’t stepping on the chain was cranked back behind her. Mayday fell onto all fours and crab-walked away, narrowly missing the blunt force of the kick. Despite evading Mara’s kick, the feeling of cold, razor sharp claws sliced at the exposed skin on her arms. Mayday shivered at the feeling and quickly huddled up for warmth. She looked up at Mara, who was now holding the chain in her hand.

“That’s a dirty trick you pulled…” Mayday growled at the bassist.

“All is fair in a rock battle,” Mara responded. Her hand clenched around the frozen links of the chain. “What’s wrong, pup? Is it difficult for you to stand without your bandmate to support you?”

Mayday took a deep breath before smirking up at Mara. “I’m just taking a quick break before I pound you into the ground.”

Mara scoffed and narrowed her eyes at Mayday. “If that is the case, then allow me to assist you back to your feet.”

With a harsh tug of the chain, Mayday was forced to her feet. She stumbled towards Mara, who was ready to strike at her with her bass guitar. Clumsily, Mayday parried the blow with her own guitar. From there, the two musicians swung their instruments at each other. The flame shaped black and red guitar clashed with the bass made of ice as Mayday and Mara parried each other’s blows. The darkness that blanketed the stage made it difficult to read Mara’s movements but Mayday put her trust into her guitar to help keep her safe. 

She was going to make it through this. She was going to come out on top.

The necks of the instruments pushed into each other as Mayday and Mara held their stance, trying to overcome the other. Mayday gritted her teeth as she mustered all the strength within her to hold out against the bassist. As the two guitars were locked together, Mara spoke.

“It is not easy being alone, wouldn’t you agree? Without Zuke here to aid you, you show your true weakness. You rely on his support to hide your own shortcomings.”

“Shut up!” Mayday shouted back, pushing her weight into her instrument to try to overtake Mara. “Zuke is my best friend but I can stand on my own two feet and stop you! If I can’t stop you by myself, then there’s no way I’ll look at myself the same way ever again!”

To Mayday’s surprise, Mara gave a small smirk. Instead of a dead stare in her blue eyes, Mayday could see a fiery passion burning within. Mara wasn’t going to make this an easy fight and was determined to win just as much as Mayday.

“We both rely on the support of our pack for strength,” Mara said quietly to Mayday. She gathered her strength and pushed it into her bass guitar. Mayday, beginning to feel overwhelmed by Mara’s strength, was forced to her knees and clenched her teeth tightly. “The only difference between us is that you run with dogs while I run with wolves.”

An unusual pressure began to form around Mayday as Mara continued to push down. A chill ran up Mayday’s spine as a deep growl echoed in her ears. When Mara spoke next, her voice sounded distorted and beastlike.

“That being said, I refuse to lose. If I must embrace loneliness and become the very thing that frightened me in order to stop you, then so be it.” 

Looking up at Mara, Mayday noticed a shift in the bassist’s normally calm and collected demeanor. A wild look gleamed in her blue eyes. Her lips were bared back, mimicking a snarl a wolf would make. The tense feeling in the air intensified as the pressure around Mara increased. A freezing sensation radiated from the cuff around Mayday’s wrist, amplifying the already uncomfortable feeling she felt. She wanted to scratch at the shackle in an attempt to provide some relief but she was stuck. Her knees were in agony, being pushed harshly into the stage’s flooring as Mara continued to dominate the parry.

Mayday was in trouble and had to get out of her predicament fast.

The guitarist’s eyes glanced around the area, trying to find an opening so she could free herself. Her eyes went to the chain that linked her with Mara. The frozen chain’s slack trailed on the ground near Mara’s foot. That was when Mayday came up with a plan.

Mayday’s eyes went back to Mara and she gave a smug grin.

“You think you have everything planned out all the time,” Mayday said through her smile, her voice straining to sound confident despite the pain she was in. “But can you see this coming!?”

Knowing she had to be quick, Mayday quit pushing her guitar into Mara’s and let the weight of the blow come down. Before the icy bass could make contact with her, she rolled out of the way. In the moment that followed Mayday quickly grabbed at the chain and wrapped it around Mara’s ankle. With adrenaline coursing through her body like a steady beat, she pulled the chain towards her. The momentum caused Mara to fall to her knees. Mayday quickly balled up right fist and sent a punch, landing squarely on the bassist’s right cheek. The blow of the hit caused Mara to face the opposite direction yet she remained on her knees.

“Ha! I’ve been wanting to do that for, like-“

Before Mayday could finish her remark, she felt a sharp pain in her right cheek. An invisible force sent her falling back, being pushed a few meters away from Mara. The sudden blow caused confusion and pain to the guitarist as her eyes widened. Her right hand touched the now tender spot on her face.

“H-how?” Mayday asked aloud in disbelief. 

Mayday slowly sat up to look at Mara, who had returned to her feet. The bassist had a hand on her right cheek and slowly removed it to reveal that she was unscathed. 

“Succumbing to the cold has its advantages,” Mara’s distorted voice growled, echoing around Mayday. “It numbs the body, allowing it to no longer feel pain. And, even if you were to land a blow to me, my chain will just redirect the damage to you.”

“Great, so no matter what I do you won’t feel a thing…” Mayday narrowed her eyes as she slowly got back to her feet. She looked at the bassist with a hardened gaze as she leaned against her guitar to support her body. “But listen to this, Mara. Freezing the feelings away won’t make you feel better. Physical or emotional, it’s still going to hurt you in the end.”

For a brief moment, a bit of humanity returned to Mara’s eyes. But that quickly vanished as the beast took hold again. 

“Then I will freeze away the pain forever.”

Mara's fingers went back to the strings of her instrument and she resumed playing. She walked slowly towards Mayday, like a predator calmly stepping towards its prey. As Mara played, the chilling wave fanned out from her. Mayday tried her best to avoid the wave but her body had reached its limit. A freezing sensation went through her body and she fell to her knees. Mara grew closer, her playing becoming louder.

“How does it feel, Mayday? When you howl and howl yet no one responds to your calls? Left alone to face the world with no one close to support you?”

“I-I do have someone to support me!” Mayday cried out, her lips quivering from the cold. 

“That is true. But Zuke will not come for you. When he awakens, it will be too late.”

“Y-you d-don’t know h-him.”

Mara remained silent as she stood before Mayday. Though she was shivering badly, Mayday stared up at the bassist with defiance in her eyes. She tried to get her guitar into a comfortable playing position but her frozen body was hard to coordinate. Her hands could no longer support her instrument and dropped it to the ground. She fumbled for her beloved guitar but Mara kicked it away.

“I do know that you can no longer continue. You are shivering so hard that you can no longer strum your guitar.”

Mara placed her left foot on Mayday’s shoulder and pushed her down. Mayday grunted as she fell onto her back. Her foot remained on Mayday’s shoulder to keep her in place while the guitarist struggled beneath her. She tried in vain to push Mara’s foot off of her but the cold had left her weakened

“With how much fire you were spitting out earlier, I cannot help but say I am disappointed,” Mara said quietly to Mayday. She raised her bass overhead and held it up. “With this final blow, the hunt is over. And I remain as the lone, top predator.”

Mayday stared blankly past Mara as she began to grow numb. She thought she had a chance and thought she could beat Mara. Her wounded pride ebbed at her but knowing what was at stake and failing hurt more.

She had failed everyone. She failed Yinu and her mother. She failed Tatiana and the other NSR superstars. But, most importantly, she had failed Zuke.

Defeated, Mayday closed her eyes and awaited the final blow.

“Mayday!”

The sound of Zuke’s voice called out to Mayday. She thought her mind was playing tricks on her, not wanting to get her hopes up. But then came the sound of footsteps that were running closer to her. 

Mayday forced her eyes open and she couldn’t believe it. Like a knight coming to the rescue, Zuke was running towards her and Mara with his drumsticks raised. He was battered, bruised and had an obvious limp to his run but he had arrived and was ready to fight. Mayday did not know whether to cry from joy or relief. Mara was surprised and the shock left her frozen in place.

“This ends now, Mara!” Zuke shouted at the bassist as he neared striking distance.

Mustering up all his strength, Zuke swung at the chain that bound Mayday and Mara together. The drumsticks made contact with the middle link. The force of the blow shattered the chain, separating the two as it crumbled and faded to snow. 

Mara stumbled back a few meters and stared at the ground in shock. 

“He...he listened to your howls and came back for you…” Mara’s normal voice returned to her as the growling subsided. The freezing pressure immediately lifted as Mara dropped her bass guitar. The instrument made a noise a it hit the ground, the frozen body of it shattering on the ground.

A hurt smile came to Mara’s face as tears welled up in her eyes. “Of course he would listen.”

As Mara stood still, Zuke tended to Mayday. He limped over to her guitar and picked it up by the neck. He then went over to Mayday and crouched to her level. Mayday slowly sat up and stared at Zuke, still trying to comprehend if he was real or not. Zuke gave her a reassuring smile and offered her her guitar.

“Sorry it took so long to get here,” Zuke said to her in a soft tone.

Mayday glanced at her guitar and then back at Zuke. No longer able to contain her emotions, she wailed loudly and through her arms around Zuke’s neck. She sobbed loudly into his chest as he remained still, letting her have her moment. After several moments of her sobbing and him crouching awkwardly, Zuke spoke.

“Uh...May?” 

Sensing Zuke’s discomfort, Mayday pulled back from the embrace. She rubbed the tears and snot that was leaking from her face. 

“I-I’m sorry,” she said between the sniffles. “You-you just don’t know how relieved I am!”

Zuke gave a small, comforting smile. “Yeah, I’m relieved too. But come on. Let’s finish this.”

Mayday nodded her head and took her guitar back from Zuke. She stood up first and helped Zuke back to his feet. The reunited duo turned their attention to Mara and walked slowly over to her. The bassist continued to stare at the ground as they approached.

“I am not surprised it ended this way,” Mara said in a quiet, strained voice. “A part inside me feels joy that you are victorious. But still…”

Mara fell to her knees and slowly raised her head up as tears began to stream from her eyes. “It’s not fair…”

Mayday couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for Mara. But she also felt anger towards the bassist as well. She wanted to go over and punch her one last time. But the battle was over now and there was no point in rubbing salt in the wound.

Mayday and Zuke looked over at each other one more time. As if reading each other’s minds, they both extended their fists and bumped them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish to apologize for the long delay. A lot of real life stuff has been happening this past month and it made it difficult writing this. I’m sorry for making you wait.
> 
> Regardless, the fight is over! Next chapter will be the epilogue chapter which will conclude this story and the I plan to have a special chapter after that.
> 
> Once again, I want to thank everyone for giving the story a chance and a special thanks to those who have been following since the beginning. It’s been so much fun writing this and I hope it was at least a little entertaining. Writing the characters and building Mara has been such a rewarding experience. Thank you all so much!


End file.
